Network system and method for generating network slices

Abstract

To facilitate the design and setting of a network slice, and to enable transfer setting to an edge device considering setting contents to be performed.SOLUTION: A network system includes: a communication facility including a radio base station, a data processing device and a plurality of communication processing devices: and a management device. The management device manages resource management information for managing values of items to be set in the communication facility as resources in each characteristic of a network slice. The management device generates the network slice, determines a value of an item with reference to the resource management information on the basis of the characteristic of the network slice, transmits first setting information for setting the determined value of the item to the communication facility, generates a transfer rule by associating identification information of a radio terminal with identification information of the data processing device, and transmits second setting information for setting the transfer rule to the communication facility.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for configuring a network slice and an edge computer. [Background technology]

[0002] The use of wireless communication is expanding. th The LTE (Next Generation) communication system allows companies and local governments to build their own wireless communication networks. By building their own wireless communication networks, they can have exclusive use of high-quality wireless communication networks without being affected by external factors.

[0003] Furthermore, the 5G communication system allows a single wireless communication network to be logically divided into multiple wireless communication networks with different communication qualities. For example, a single wireless communication network can be logically divided into a communication network capable of high-speed, high-capacity communication, a communication network capable of low-latency communication, and a communication network capable of multiple simultaneous connections. This logical division ensures that communications requiring low latency are not affected by high-speed, high-capacity communications. The standard for achieving this is defined as "network slicing."

[0004] Furthermore, the 5G communication method enables low-latency wireless communication, making it possible to transfer packets for specific destinations to computers placed at the edge. Computers placed at the edge are generally called edge devices or MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing), and the standard for transferring packets to MEC is defined as "Traffic Steering." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-41266 [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] 3GPP TR 38.913 V16.0.0: “Study on Scenarios and Requirements for Next Generation Access Technologies”, Jul. 2020. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Although the concept of network slicing is being defined, there are still no standards in place for how to logically divide the communication network that delivers packets sent from wireless communication devices to their destinations, or how to configure each device that forwards packets. Therefore, to actually build a network slice, operators must carry out the design and configuration work. Similarly, operators must also carry out the design and configuration work for packet forwarding to edge devices.

[0008] With the 5G communication method, it is expected that equipment will be installed in companies and local governments, so it would be time-consuming and costly for wireless communication network providers to carry out these tasks.

[0009] By using the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to select the optimal edge device and set the Traffic Steering function in response to a user request. Also, it is possible to select a different edge computer and change the Traffic Steering function settings depending on the communication status.

[0010] However, when configuring the Traffic Steering function in edge devices, it is necessary to consider the settings of the devices that realize the network slice. The same is true when changing the Traffic Steering function settings depending on the communication status.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to simplify the work required for operators to design and configure devices that realize network slices, and to configure the Traffic Steering function in edge devices taking into account the configuration contents of the devices that realize network slices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] A representative example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows: That is, a network system includes at least one communication facility including a wireless base station, at least one data processing device that processes data received via wireless communication, and multiple communication processing devices that control communication, and at least one management device, wherein the at least one management device manages resource management information for managing, as resources, values ​​of items to be set in the at least one communication facility in order to generate a network slice for each characteristic of a network slice obtained by logically dividing a network realized by the at least one communication facility, the items including identification information of the at least one data processing device, and when the at least one management device receives a network slice generation request including the characteristic of the network slice, logically divides the multiple communication processing devices. a second process of determining a value of the item by referring to the resource management information based on characteristics of the network slice included in the network slice generation request, and transmitting first setting information for setting the determined value of the item to at least one of the communication facilities; and a third process of generating a transfer rule for transferring data transmitted from the wireless terminal to at least one of the data processing devices by associating identification information of a wireless terminal communicating via the generated network slice, characteristics of the network slice used by the wireless terminal, and identification information of at least one of the data processing devices in the network slice, and transmitting second setting information for setting the transfer rule to at least one of the communication facilities. the plurality of communication processing devices include at least one DNS server, and in the first process, at least one of the management devices determines a domain name and an IP address to be set in at least one of the data processing devices, and the at least one management device further performs a fourth process in which, by associating the determined domain name with the determined IP address, when data including the domain name is received from the wireless terminal, the at least one DNS server generates setting information for transmitting the data to the at least one of the data processing devices by name resolution, and transmits the setting information to the at least one DNS server. do. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost required for generating a network slice, and to configure a traffic steering function for an edge device by taking into account the configuration of a device that realizes the network slice. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be made clear by the description of the following embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a network system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a slice management device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a wireless communication management device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a data structure of resource management information. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of slice management information. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a data structure of transfer rule management information. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of domain name management information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of communication status management information. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of communication quality condition management information. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of data processing device management information. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of wireless communication management information. [Figure 12] A sequence diagram showing an example of a network slice configuration process in the network system of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen presented by the slice management device of the first embodiment. [Figure 14] A sequence diagram showing an example of a network slice setting change process in a network system of a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication quality confirmation process executed by the slice management device of the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an update result of slice management information. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of an update result of transfer rule management information. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an update result of domain name management information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments shown below. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the specific configuration can be changed without departing from the spirit or intent of the present invention.

[0016] In the configurations of the invention described below, identical or similar components or functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, when distinguishing between identical or similar components or functions, reference numerals combining numbers and letters will be used.

[0017] In this specification, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. are used to identify components and do not necessarily limit the number or order. [Example]

[0018] (A1) System Configuration FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a network system according to a first embodiment.

[0019] The network system is composed of multiple wireless communication devices (wireless terminals) 10, multiple wireless communication facilities 110, a slice management device 80, a wireless communication management device 30, and a remote data processing device 130. The wireless communication devices 10 are connected to a wireless base station 20 via a wireless network. The wireless communication facilities 110 are also connected to the slice management device 80, the wireless communication management device 30, and the remote data processing device 130 via the Internet 120.

[0020] The wireless communication device 10 is a device that performs wireless communication, and examples thereof include robots, automated guided vehicles, sensors, etc. that operate in factories, tablet PCs (Personal Computers), and smartphones. The wireless communication device 10 transmits and receives text, audio, video, etc. via wireless communication with a wireless communication facility 110. In FIG. 1, wireless communication devices 10a, 10b, and 10c are present, and the wireless communication device 10a communicates wirelessly with a wireless base station 20 of the wireless communication facility 110a.

[0021] The wireless communication facility 110 is a communication facility that realizes a wireless communication network, and is composed of a wireless base station 20, a destination determination device 40, a DNS (Domain Name System) server 50, a packet relay device 60, and a data processing device 90. In Fig. 1, wireless communication facilities 110a and 110b exist. The destination determination device 40, the DNS server 50, and the packet relay device 60 are examples of communication processing devices that control communication in the wireless network.

[0022] The wireless base station 20 performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 10. The wireless base station 20 is also connected to a destination determination device 40 via a wired connection, and transmits data received from the wireless communication device 10 to the destination determination device 40, and also receives data addressed to the wireless communication device 10 received from the destination determination device 40.

[0023] The destination determination device 40 is connected to the wireless base station 20 and the packet relay device 60 by wire, and transmits data received from the wireless base station 20 to the packet relay device 60, and also transmits data received from the packet relay device 60 to the wireless base station 20. The destination determination device 40 can refer to the destination and source information included in the data and transmit data including specific destination and source information to the data processing device 90 in the wireless communication facility 110.

[0024] The DNS server 50 manages the correspondence between the IP addresses and domain names of the data processing device 90 and the remote data processing device 130. When the wireless communication device 10 inquires about the IP address of a domain name, the DNS server 50 responds with the IP address corresponding to the domain name.

[0025] The packet relay device 60 is connected to the destination determination device 40, the data processing device 90, and the Internet 120 by wire, and transmits data received from the destination determination device 40 to the data processing device 90 or the Internet 120, and transmits data received from the data processing device 90 or the Internet 120 to the destination determination device 40. The packet relay device 60 can be logically divided to separate the communication networks. In FIG. 1, the packet relay device 60 is divided into three virtual packet relay devices: a virtual packet relay device 70a, a virtual packet relay device 70b, and a virtual packet relay device 70c. The virtual packet relay device 70a, the virtual packet relay device 70b, and the virtual packet relay device 70c communicate with the Internet 120, the data processing device 90a, and the data processing device 90b, respectively.

[0026] The data processing device 90 is a device that functions as an edge device and performs predetermined processing on data received from the wireless communication device 10. For example, the data processing device 90 performs processing that requires immediate execution, such as real-time processing, on the received data and transmits the execution results to the wireless communication device 10. The data processing device 90 can be logically divided. In FIG. 1, a virtual data processing device 100a exists in the data processing device 90a, and a virtual data processing device 100b exists in the data processing device 90b.

[0027] The slice management device 80 configures a network slice, which is a virtual wireless network obtained by logically dividing the wireless network realized by the wireless communication facility 110. Specifically, the slice management device 80 configures the destination determination device 40, packet relay device 60, and data processing device 90 in the wireless communication facility 110, as well as the wireless communication management device 30. Furthermore, the slice management device 80 acquires information regarding the communication status between the destination determination device 40, packet relay device 60, and data processing device 90. The slice management device 80 also acquires data from the wireless communication management device 30. Detailed procedures for configuring the devices and acquiring information regarding the communication status will be described later.

[0028] The wireless communication management device 30 manages the sessions of the wireless communication device 10 and also performs settings on the wireless base station 20 and the destination determination device 40 included in the wireless communication facility 110.

[0029] The remote data processing device 130 performs predetermined processing on the data received from the wireless communication device 10. execution For example, the remote data processing device 130 executes a process that can take time, such as batch processing, and transmits the execution result to the wireless communication device 10.

[0030] Note that the configuration, type, and number of the wireless communication device 10, wireless base station 20, destination determination device 40, DNS server 50, packet relay device 60, virtual packet relay device 70, data processing device 90, virtual data processing device 100, slice management device 80, and wireless communication management device 30 are not limited to the example shown in Figure 1, and may be other forms as appropriate.

[0031] The slice management device 80 may be included in the wireless communication facility 110. The wireless communication management device 30 may have the functions of the slice management device 80, or the slice management device 80 may have the functions of the wireless communication management device 30.

[0032] (A2) Configuration of slice management device FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the slice management device 80 according to the first embodiment.

[0033] The slice management device 80 includes a packet transmission / reception port 31, a storage device 32, a memory 33, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) .

[0034] The storage device 32 is a storage device that is configured from non-volatile storage elements such as a hard disk, a semiconductor disk, and a flash memory. The storage device 32 stores some or all of the programs executed by the CPU 34, and also stores some or all of the information used by the programs.

[0035] Some or all of the programs and information may be stored in advance in the storage device 32, or may be introduced via a network from a non-transitory storage medium or from an information processing device equipped with an external non-transitory storage device.

[0036] The CPU 34 executes a program stored in the memory 33. The CPU 34 executes processing in accordance with the program, thereby operating as a functional unit that realizes a specific function. In the following description, when processing is described with the program as the subject, it indicates that the CPU 34 is executing the program. Note that the slice management device 80 may have multiple CPUs 34.

[0037] The memory 33 stores a program that realizes each function of the slice management device 80. The memory 33 is also used as a work area for the program to temporarily read and write data. If the program is stored in the storage device 32, the CPU 34 reads the program from the storage device 32 and loads it into the memory 33.

[0038] The memory 33 of the first embodiment stores a user interface program 81, a slice management program 82, a device setting program 83, a transfer rule management program 84, a domain name management program 85, a communication status information acquisition program 86, a device interface program 87, and a wireless communication management device interface program 88. The memory 33 also stores resource management information 91, slice management information 92, transfer rule management information 93, domain name management information 94, communication status management information 95, communication quality condition management information 96, and data processing device management information 97. The memory 33 also includes programs such as an OS (Operating System), but these are omitted from the illustration.

[0039] (A3) Configuration of wireless communication management device FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the wireless communication management device 30 according to the first embodiment.

[0040] The wireless communication management device 30 includes a packet transmission / reception port 31, a storage device 32, a memory 33, and a CPU .

[0041] Similar to the slice management device 80, the CPU 34 executes programs stored in the storage device 32 and / or the memory 33. Similar to the slice management device 80, some or all of these programs and the information used by the programs may be introduced from outside.

[0042] The memory 33 of the first embodiment stores a wireless communication management program 36. The wireless communication management program 36 manages sessions and assigns addresses to the wireless communication devices 10. The memory 33 also stores wireless communication management information 38 and wireless communication device management information 39.

[0043] (A4) Data structure of information FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the resource management information 91. As shown in FIG.

[0044] The resource management information 91 is information for managing the values ​​of items set in a communication processing device that realizes a network slice as resources. The resource management information 91 stores entries including a resource name 911, a start 912, an end 913, and an increment 914. There is one entry for each item. Note that the fields included in an entry are not limited to those described above. An entry may not include any of the above-described fields, or may include other fields.

[0045] Resource Name 911 is a field that stores a name that indicates the type of resource. Start 912 and End 913 are fields that store values ​​for specifying the range of the resource. Increment 914 is a field that stores the number of resources to be allocated.

[0046] For example, an entry with the resource name 911 being "VLAN" indicates that the range from "10" to "250" is managed as a pool of VLAN identification information (items).

[0047] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the slice management information 92. As shown in FIG.

[0048] The slice management information 92 is information for managing network slices created on the wireless communication facility 110. The slice management information 92 stores entries including a type 921, a data network 922, a VLAN ID 923, a subnet 924, a device name 925, and an IP address 926. One entry exists for one network slice. Note that the fields included in an entry are not limited to those described above. An entry may not include any of the above-described fields, or may include other fields.

[0049] The type 921 is a field that stores a value indicating the type of the network slice. Examples of the type of the network slice include a network slice that supports low-latency communication, a network slice that supports high-capacity communication, and a network slice that supports simultaneous connection of a large number of wireless communication devices 10.

[0050] Data Network 922 is a field that stores identification information of a data network on the network slice. VLAN ID 923 is a field that stores identification information of a VLAN assigned to the network slice. Subnet 924 is a field that stores a subnet assigned to the network slice.

[0051] The device name 925 and IP address 926 are fields that store the names and IP addresses of devices that constitute a network slice and are managed by the slice management device 80. In this embodiment, one entry includes rows for the destination determination device 40 and the virtual data processing device 100.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the transfer rule management information 93. As shown in FIG.

[0053] The forwarding rule management information 93 is information for managing forwarding rules for data destined for a network slice. The forwarding rule management information 93 includes a source 931 and a destination 932. One entry exists for one forwarding rule. Note that the fields included in an entry are not limited to those described above. An entry may not include any of the above-described fields, or may include other fields.

[0054] Source 931 is a field that stores the subnet for the user that is the source. Destination 932 is a field that stores the subnet assigned to the destination network slice. Data including the IP address set in source 931 is transferred to the network slice to which the subnet of destination 932 is assigned.

[0055] For example, the first entry indicates that data with a source of "60.60.10.0 / 24" is forwarded to the subnet "192.168.10.0 / 24." As shown in FIG. 5, data forwarded to a network slice to which the subnet "192.168.10.0 / 24" is assigned is sent to the virtual data processing device 100a with an IP address of "192.168.10.2" via a network with a VLAN ID of "10." An entry with a source 931 of "Any" is a forwarding rule for data that does not fall under any other forwarding rule.

[0056] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the domain name management information 94. As shown in FIG.

[0057] The domain name management information 94 is information for managing the correspondence between domain names and IP addresses used by the DNS server 50 to perform name resolution. The domain name management information 94 stores entries including a domain name 941 and an IP address 942. One entry exists for one correspondence. Note that the fields included in an entry are not limited to those described above. An entry may not include any of the above-described fields, or may include other fields.

[0058] The domain name 941 is a field for storing the domain name of the edge device. The IP address 942 is a field for storing the IP address corresponding to the domain name.

[0059] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the communication status management information 95. As shown in FIG.

[0060] The communication status management information 95 is information for managing the communication quality of the data processing device 90 that constitutes the network slice. The communication status management information 95 stores entries including a data processing device ID 951 and communication quality 952. One entry exists for one data processing device 90 that constitutes the network slice. Note that the fields included in the entry are not limited to those described above. Any of the above-mentioned fields may not be included, and other fields may also be included.

[0061] The data processing device ID 951 is a field that stores an IP address assigned to one of the data processing devices 90 that constitutes the network slice. The communication quality 952 is a group of fields that store values ​​that indicate the quality of communication of the data processing device 90. The communication quality 952 stores values ​​such as delay and communication speed.

[0062] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the communication quality condition management information 96. As shown in FIG.

[0063] The communication quality condition management information 96 is information for managing the conditions of communication quality to be satisfied for each characteristic of the network slice. In the 5G communication system, Non-Patent Document 1 defines the target value of communication quality for each characteristic of the network slice. For example, in a network slice that supports low-latency communication, the target value of the wireless one-way transmission delay is defined as "0.5 ms." In a network slice that supports high-capacity communication, the target values ​​of the downlink peak communication speed and the uplink peak communication speed are defined as "20 Gbps" and "10 Gbps."

[0064] The communication quality condition management information 96 stores entries including a type 961 and a quality condition 962. One entry exists for the characteristics of one network slice. Note that the fields included in the entry are not limited to those described above. Any of the above fields may not be included, or other fields may be included.

[0065] The type 961 is a field that stores a value indicating the type of the network slice. The quality condition 962 is a field group that stores quality conditions set for the type of the network slice. The quality condition 962 includes a field that stores a threshold (tolerance value) for each communication quality item.

[0066] For example, an entry with type 961 of "large capacity" indicates that a network slice that supports large-capacity communication has an upper limit of delay of "100 ms" and a lower limit of allowable communication speed of "200 MB."

[0067] The quality condition is set for the network slice, not for each individual data processing device 90. If at least one data processing device 90 constituting the network slice does not satisfy the quality condition, it indicates that the network slice itself does not satisfy the quality condition.

[0068] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the data processing device management information 97. As shown in FIG.

[0069] The data processing device management information 97 is information for managing the data processing device 90. The data processing device management information 97 stores entries including a data processing device ID 971 and a virtual data processing device ID 972. One entry exists for a combination of a data processing device 90 and a virtual data processing device 100. Note that the fields included in an entry are not limited to those described above. Any of the above-described fields may not be included, or other fields may be included.

[0070] The data processing device ID 971 is a field for storing an IP address assigned to the data processing device 90. The virtual data processing device ID 972 is a field for storing an IP address assigned to the virtual data processing device 100. If the data processing device 90 is not logically divided, the virtual data processing device ID 972 is left blank.

[0071] For example, the first entry indicates that the data processing device 90 assigned the IP address "192.168.0.251" has a virtual data processing device 100 assigned the IP address "192.168.10.2." The second entry indicates that the data processing device 90 assigned the IP address "192.168.0.252" does not have a virtual data processing device 100.

[0072] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the wireless communication management information 38. As shown in FIG.

[0073] The wireless communication management information 38 is information for managing the subnet used by the wireless communication device 10 in the network slice. The wireless communication management information 38 stores entries including a type 381, a data network 382, ​​a user subnetwork 383, and a wireless communication device ID 384. One entry exists for one network slice. Note that the fields included in the entry are not limited to those described above. Any of the above fields may be omitted, or other fields may be included.

[0074] The type 381 is a field that stores a value indicating the type of the network slice. Data Network on The user subnetwork 383 is a field for storing the subnetwork used by the wireless communication device 10. The wireless communication device ID 384 is a field for storing the identification information of the wireless communication device 10 that communicates via the subnetwork.

[0075] The first entry indicates that a data network with identification information "network 1" is defined on a network slice of type "low latency," and that "60.60.10.0 / 24" is assigned as the subnetwork for wireless communication devices 10 that use the data network. It also indicates that wireless communication devices 10a and 10b are registered as wireless communication devices 10 that use the data network.

[0076] (A5) Configuration operation sequence triggered by the operator's configuration request Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a process for setting a network slice in the network system according to the embodiment 1. Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen presented by the slice management device 80 according to the embodiment 1.

[0077] The wireless communication network operator 140 issues a slice creation request to the slice management device 80 (step S1001). The slice creation request includes the type of slice and identification information of the data network.

[0078] When the user interface program 81 of the slice management device 80 receives the slice creation request, it calls the slice management program 82. The slice management program 82 transmits the slice creation request to the wireless communication management device 30 (step S1002).

[0079] When the wireless communication management program 36 of the wireless communication management device 30 receives a slice creation request, it generates a network slice by logically dividing the communication processing devices of the wireless communication facility 110. Since the method for generating a network slice is a well-known technique, a detailed description will be omitted. At this time, a user subnet is also set. When the generation of the network slice is complete, the wireless communication management program 36 sends a response to the slice management device 80.

[0080] When the slice management program 82 receives the response, it allocates resources (step S1003). Here, the items to be allocated are the VLAN ID, IP address, and subnet.

[0081] Specifically, the slice management program 82 refers to the slice management information 92 and identifies resources already allocated to a network slice of the specified type. If resources are not allocated, i.e., if a network slice of the specified type does not exist, the slice management program 82 assigns the value set in the start 912 of each entry in the resource management information 91. If resources are allocated, the slice management program 82 identifies the maximum value of the resources allocated to each item and adds the value of the increment 914 to the maximum value. If the value is less than or equal to the value of the end 913, the slice management program 82 assigns the value. If the value is greater than the value of the end 913, the slice management program 82 refers to the slice management information 92 and identifies an unused value and assigns the value.

[0082] At this time, the slice management program 82 determines the data processing device 90 to be used, and generates information for generating the virtual data processing device 100 in the data processing device 90.

[0083] The device setting program 83 of the slice management device 80 sends setting information for setting the values ​​of the assigned items to the destination determination device 40, packet relay device 60, and data processing device 90 via the device interface program 87 (step S1004).

[0084] After completing the settings, the destination determination device 40, the packet relay device 60, and the data processing device 90 transmit the setting results to the slice management device 80 (step S1005). When the device setting program 83 of the slice management device 80 receives the setting results indicating that the settings were successful, it registers the set contents in the slice management information 92.

[0085] Next, the transfer rule management program 84 of the slice management device 80 queries the wireless communication management device 30 for the user subnetwork that uses the network slice (step S1006). The query includes the type of network slice and the identification information of the data network.

[0086] When the wireless communication management program 36 of the wireless communication management device 30 receives the inquiry from the slice management device 80, it transmits a response including the user subnet to the slice management device 80 (step S1007).

[0087] Specifically, the wireless communication management program 36 refers to the wireless communication management information 38 and searches for an entry in which the combination of the values ​​of the type 381 and the data network 382 matches the combination of the type of the network slice and the identification information of the data network included in the query. The wireless communication management program 36 acquires a user subnet from the user subnet 383 of the searched entry and transmits a response including the user subnet. For example, if the type of the network slice is "low latency" and the identification information of the data network is network1 In this case, the user subnet "60.60.10.0 / 24" is included in the response.

[0088] When the transfer rule management program 84 of the slice management device 80 receives a response from the wireless communication management device 30, it generates transfer rule information that associates the user subnet included in the response with the subnet assigned to the network slice and sends it to the wireless communication management device 30 (step S1008).

[0089] When the wireless communication management device 30 receives the transfer rule information, it transmits the transfer rule information to the destination determination device 40 (step S1009).

[0090] After the setting is completed, the destination determination device 40 transmits the setting result to the wireless communication management device 30 (step S1010). When the wireless communication management device 30 receives the setting result from the destination determination device 40, it transmits the setting result to the slice management device 80 (step S1011).

[0091] When the slice management device 80 receives a setting result indicating that the setting has been successful from the wireless communication management device 30, the slice management device 80 registers the transfer rule in the transfer rule management information 93.

[0092] Next, the slice management program 82 of the slice management device 80 assigns a domain name to be assigned to the virtual data processing device 100 (step S1012).

[0093] The domain name management program 85 generates setting information that associates the IP address and domain name of the virtual data processing device 100, and transmits it to the DNS server 50 (step S1013). After completing the setting, the DNS server 50 transmits the setting result to the slice management device 80 (step S1014).

[0094] When the domain name management program 85 of the slice management device 80 receives a setting result indicating that the setting has been successful, it registers the setting information in the domain name management information 94.

[0095] The user interface program 81 of the slice management device 80 transmits the results of the series of processes to the operator 140 (step S1015).

[0096] For example, a screen 1300 such as that shown in Fig. 13 is displayed. The screen 1300 includes a network slice display field 1301, a setting display field 1302, and a status display field 1303.

[0097] The network slice display field 1301 is a field for displaying a network slice. The setting display field 1302 is a field for displaying the setting status of the network slice. The status display field 1303 is a field for displaying the communication status of the data processing device 90 or virtual data processing device 100 included in the network slice.

[0098] 13, a "low latency" type network slice "slice 101" is configured in the wireless communication facility 110a, and all settings are shown to be successful. The domain name "aaa.abc.co.jp" is also assigned to the edge device of the network slice, indicating that no communication delay is occurring.

[0099] When the wireless communication device 10 transmits data to the edge device "aaa.abc.co.jp," the destination IP address "192.168.10.2" is identified from the domain name by the DNS server 50, and "192.168.10.2" is set as the destination of the data. The traffic steering function of the destination determination device 40 transfers the data to the edge device via the data network with VLAN ID "10" assigned to the network slice.

[0100] As long as the consistency of the processes is maintained, the order in which the processes are executed may be changed.

[0101] According to the first embodiment, the operator can automatically complete the configuration of the device that realizes the network slice by specifying the type of the network slice. In addition, the forwarding rules for the edge devices are also automatically configured in accordance with the configuration of the network slice. [Example]

[0102] In the second embodiment, a process executed when the communication state of the network slice does not satisfy the quality condition will be described. Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described, focusing on the difference from the first embodiment.

[0103] The configuration of the network system of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. The configurations of the slice management device 80 and the wireless communication management device 30 of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0104] (B1) Setting operation sequence triggered by change in communication quality Fig. 14 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a network slice setting change process in the network system of the second embodiment. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a communication quality confirmation process executed by the slice management device 80 of the second embodiment. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an update result of the slice management information 92. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an update result of the transfer rule management information 93. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of an update result of the domain name management information 94.

[0105] After the network slice setting process described in the first embodiment is executed, the communication status information acquisition program 86 of the slice management device 80 periodically transmits an acquisition request to the destination determination device 40 in order to acquire information about the communication quality between the destination determination device 40 and the data processing device 90 (step S2001). The period can be set arbitrarily.

[0106] The destination determination device 40 measures the communication quality up to the data processing device 90 and transmits communication quality information including the measurement result to the slice management device 80 (step S2002). When the slice management device 80 receives the communication quality information, it registers it in the communication status management information 95.

[0107] The communication status information acquisition program 86 of the slice management device 80 executes a communication quality confirmation process (step S2003). Here, the communication quality confirmation process will be described with reference to FIG.

[0108] The communication state information acquisition program 86 starts the loop processing of the data processing device 90 (step S3001). First, the communication state information acquisition program 86 selects one entry from the communication state management information 95.

[0109] The communication state information acquisition program 86 refers to the data processing device management information 97 and determines whether or not the selected data processing device 90 includes a virtual data processing device 100 (step S3002).

[0110] If the virtual data processing device 100 does not exist in the selected data processing device 90, the communication status information acquisition program 86 proceeds to step S3007.

[0111] If a virtual data processing device 100 exists on the selected data processing device 90, the communication status information acquisition program 86 refers to the slice management information 92 to identify the network slice to which the data network on the selected data processing device 90 that includes the virtual data processing device 100 as a component belongs, and further identifies the type of the network slice (step S3003).

[0112] The communication state information acquisition program 86 determines whether the quality conditions of the identified network slice type are met (step S3004).

[0113] Specifically, the communication state information acquisition program 86 compares the communication quality 952 of an entry selected from the communication state management information 95 with the quality condition 962 of an entry corresponding to the identified type in the communication quality condition management information 96. For example, it is determined whether the delay value included in the communication quality 952 is smaller than the delay value (threshold) included in the quality condition 962. If the required quality is not met for at least one item, it is determined that the quality condition of the type of network slice is not met.

[0114] If the quality conditions of the identified network slice type are met, the communication status information acquisition program 86 proceeds to step S3007.

[0115] If the quality condition of the identified network slice type is not satisfied, the communication status information acquisition program 86 refers to the communication status management information 95 and selects a data processing device 90 that satisfies the communication quality (step S3005). Note that if there are multiple data processing devices 90 that satisfy the communication quality, the data processing device 90 with the best communication quality is selected.

[0116] The communication state information acquisition program 86 identifies the packet relay device 60 connected to the identified data processing device 90 (step S3006), and then proceeds to step S3007.

[0117] In step S3007, the communication state information acquisition program 86 determines whether or not the processing has been completed for all data processing devices 90 (step S3007).

[0118] If the processing has not been completed for all data processing devices 90, the communication status information acquisition program 86 returns to step S3001 and selects a new data processing device 90.

[0119] When the processing is completed for all the data processing devices 90, the communication status information acquisition program 86 ends the communication quality confirmation processing.

[0120] This concludes the description of the communication quality confirmation process. Returning to the description of Fig. 14, when a new data processing device 90 is selected in the communication quality confirmation process, the following process is executed.

[0121] The communication status information acquisition program 86 calls the slice management program 82. The slice management program 82 executes update processing (step S2004), and the user interface program 81 transmits the results of the series of processing to the operator 140 (step S2005). In the update processing, processing from step S1003 to step S1005 and step S1008 to step S1014 is executed. However, some processing is different.

[0122] In step S1003, the slice management program 82 assigns a new VLAN ID, subnet, and IP address. The resource allocation method is the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0123] In step S1004, the device setting program 83 transmits setting information for setting values ​​of the newly assigned items to the destination determination device 40, the packet relay device 60, and the data processing device 90 via the device interface program 87. When the device setting program 83 of the slice management device 80 receives a setting result indicating successful setting, it updates the slice management information 92 based on the set content. For example, the slice management information 92 is updated as shown in FIG. 16.

[0124] 16, the VLAN ID, subnet, and IP address of the edge device of the data network "network1" have been updated. The device setting program 83 also outputs the subnet before and after the update to the transfer rule management program 84, and outputs the IP address before and after the update to the domain name management program 85.

[0125] In step S1008, the transfer rule management program 84 searches for an entry in which the pre-update subnet is set in the destination 932, generates transfer rule information that associates the user subnet of the source 931 of the entry with the updated subnet, and transmits the generated transfer rule information to the wireless communication management device 30. When the slice management device 80 receives a setting result indicating successful setting from the wireless communication management device 30, the slice management device 80 updates the destination 932 of the searched entry. .transfer The rule management information 93 is updated as shown in FIG. 17, for example.

[0126] 17, the destination of data whose source 931 is "60.60.10.0 / 24" is updated from "192.168.10.0 / 24" to "192.168.70.0 / 24." Note that, as shown in FIG. 16, data transferred to a network slice to which the subnet "192.168.70.0 / 24" is assigned is sent to the virtual data processing device 100a whose IP address is "192.168.70.2" via a network with a VLAN ID of "70."

[0127] In step S1013, the domain name management program 85 searches for an entry in which the IP address before the update is set in the IP address 942, generates configuration information that associates the domain name of the domain name 941 of the entry with the updated IP address, and transmits the information to the DNS server 50. When the slice management device 80 receives a configuration result indicating successful configuration, it registers the IP address 942 of the searched entry. The domain name management information 94 is updated, for example, as shown in FIG. 18.

[0128] In FIG. 18 , the IP address of the domain name 941 "aaa.abc.co.jp" is updated from "192.168.10.2" to "192.168.70.2." When the wireless communication device 10 transmits data to the edge device "aaa.abc.co.jp," the DNS server 50 identifies the destination IP address "192.168.70.2" from the domain name and sets "192.168.70.2" as the data destination. The traffic steering function of the destination determination device 40 transfers the data to the edge device via the data network with VLAN ID "70" assigned to the network slice.

[0129] According to the second embodiment, the network slice settings can be automatically updated based on the communication quality.

[0130] The present invention and / or this embodiment can be configured not only as a configuration using the slice management device 80, but also as a setting method or a computer program executed by the slice management device 80. The computer program is preferably recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. As the recording medium, various media such as a floppy disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk, a memory card, and a hard disk can be used.

[0131] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to configurations including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, part of the configuration of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations.

[0132] Furthermore, the aforementioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in part or in whole in hardware, for example by designing them as integrated circuits, or may be realized in software by having a processor interpret and execute a program that realizes each function.

[0133] Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

[0134] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all the control lines and information lines that are necessary for implementation. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 10. Wireless communication devices 20 Wireless Base Stations 30 Wireless communication management device 31 Packet sending and receiving port 32 Storage devices 33 Memory 34 CPU 36 Wireless Communication Management Program 38 Wireless Communication Management Information 39 Wireless communication equipment management information 40 Destination determination device 50 DNS servers 60 Packet relay device 70 Virtual Packet Relay Device 80 Slice Management Device 81 User Interface Program 82 Slice Management Program 83 Device Setting Program 84 Transfer rule management program 85 Domain Name Management Program 86 Communication status information acquisition program 87 Device Interface Program 88 Wireless communication management device interface program 90 Data Processing Device 91 Resource Management Information 92 Slice Management Information 93 Transfer rule management information 94 Domain Name Management Information 95 Communication status management information 96 Communication quality condition management information 97 Data Processing Device Management Information 100 Virtual Data Processing Device 110 Radio communication facilities 120 Internet 130 Remote Data Processing Device 140 Operator 1300 screens

Claims

1. A network system, at least one communication facility including a wireless base station, at least one data processing device for processing data received via wireless communication, and a plurality of communication processing devices for controlling communication; and at least one management device; At least one of the management devices manages resource management information for managing, as resources, values ​​of items to be set in at least one of the communication facilities in order to generate the network slice for each characteristic of a network slice obtained by logically dividing a network realized by at least one of the communication facilities; the items include identification information of at least one of the data processing devices; At least one of the management devices a first process of generating the network slice by logically dividing a plurality of the communication processing devices when a network slice generation request including characteristics of the network slice is received; a second process of determining a value of the item by referring to the resource management information based on the characteristics of the network slice included in the network slice generation request, and transmitting first setting information for setting the determined value of the item to at least one of the communication facilities; a third process of generating a transfer rule for transferring data transmitted from the wireless terminal to at least one of the data processing devices by associating identification information of the wireless terminal communicating through the generated network slice, characteristics of the network slice used by the wireless terminal, and identification information of at least one of the data processing devices in the network slice, and transmitting second setting information for setting the transfer rule to at least one of the communication facilities; The plurality of communication processing devices include at least one DNS server; In the first process, at least one of the management devices determines a domain name and an IP address to be set in at least one of the data processing devices; At least one of the management devices further performs a fourth process in which, by associating the determined domain name with the determined IP address, when data including the domain name is received from the wireless terminal, at least one of the DNS servers generates configuration information for sending the data to at least one of the data processing devices by name resolution, and sends the configuration information to at least one of the DNS servers.

2. A network system, at least one communication facility including a wireless base station, at least one data processing device for processing data received via wireless communication, and a plurality of communication processing devices for controlling communication; and at least one management device; At least one of the management devices manages resource management information for managing, as resources, values ​​of items to be set in at least one of the communication facilities in order to generate the network slice for each characteristic of a network slice obtained by logically dividing a network realized by at least one of the communication facilities; the items include identification information of at least one of the data processing devices; At least one of the management devices a first process of generating the network slice by logically dividing a plurality of the communication processing devices when a network slice generation request including characteristics of the network slice is received; a second process of determining a value of the item by referring to the resource management information based on the characteristics of the network slice included in the network slice generation request, and transmitting first setting information for setting the determined value of the item to at least one of the communication facilities; a third process of generating a transfer rule for transferring data transmitted from the wireless terminal to at least one of the data processing devices by associating identification information of the wireless terminal communicating through the generated network slice, characteristics of the network slice used by the wireless terminal, and identification information of at least one of the data processing devices in the network slice, and transmitting second setting information for setting the transfer rule to at least one of the communication facilities; Furthermore, at least one of the management devices Manage communication quality condition management information for managing quality conditions related to communication quality to be satisfied for each characteristic of the network slice; acquiring communication status information including a value relating to communication quality of at least one of the data processing devices; By referring to the communication quality condition management information, the quality condition corresponding to the characteristics of the network slice created in at least one of the communication facilities is identified; Based on the communication state information, determine whether the quality condition corresponding to the characteristics of the network slice created in at least one of the communication facilities is satisfied; A network system characterized in that the second process and the third process are executed when the quality condition corresponding to the characteristics of the network slice generated in at least one of the communication facilities is not satisfied.

3. A network system according to claim 2, a plurality of said data processing devices; At least one of the management devices If the quality condition corresponding to the characteristics of the network slice created in at least one of the communication facilities is not satisfied, selecting the data processing devices to be included in the network slice based on the communication state information; A network system that executes the second process and the third process.

4. A method for generating a network slice executed by a network system, comprising: the network system includes at least one communication facility including a wireless base station, at least one data processing device that processes data received via wireless communication, and a plurality of communication processing devices that control communication; and at least one management device; At least one of the management devices manages resource management information for managing, as resources, values ​​of items to be set in at least one of the communication facilities in order to generate the network slice for each characteristic of a network slice obtained by logically dividing a network realized by at least one of the communication facilities; the items include identification information of at least one of the data processing devices; The method for generating a network slice includes: a first step of executing a first process of generating the network slice by logically dividing a plurality of the communication processing devices when at least one of the management devices receives a network slice generation request including characteristics of the network slice; a second step in which at least one of the management devices executes a second process in which the management device determines a value of the item by referring to the resource management information based on the characteristics of the network slice included in the network slice generation request, and transmits first setting information for setting the determined value of the item to at least one of the communication facilities; a third step in which at least one of the management devices generates a transfer rule for transferring data transmitted from the wireless terminal to at least one of the data processing devices by associating identification information of a wireless terminal communicating through the generated network slice, characteristics of the network slice used by the wireless terminal, and identification information of at least one of the data processing devices in the network slice, and executes a third process in which the management device generates a transfer rule for transferring data transmitted from the wireless terminal to at least one of the data processing devices, and transmits second setting information for setting the transfer rule to at least one of the communication facilities; Including, The plurality of communication processing devices include at least one DNS server; In the first process, a domain name and an IP address to be set in at least one of the data processing devices are determined; The method for generating a network slice is characterized in that it includes a step in which, when at least one of the management devices receives data including the domain name from the wireless terminal by associating the determined domain name and the determined IP address, at least one of the DNS servers generates configuration information for sending the data to at least one of the data processing devices by name resolution, and executes a fourth process of sending the configuration information to at least one of the DNS servers.

5. A method for generating a network slice executed by a network system, comprising: the network system includes at least one communication facility including a wireless base station, at least one data processing device that processes data received via wireless communication, and a plurality of communication processing devices that control communication; and at least one management device; At least one of the management devices manages resource management information for managing, as resources, values ​​of items to be set in at least one of the communication facilities in order to generate the network slice for each characteristic of a network slice obtained by logically dividing a network realized by at least one of the communication facilities; the items include identification information of at least one of the data processing devices; The method for generating a network slice includes: a first step of executing a first process of generating the network slice by logically dividing a plurality of the communication processing devices when at least one of the management devices receives a network slice generation request including characteristics of the network slice; a second step in which at least one of the management devices executes a second process in which the management device determines a value of the item by referring to the resource management information based on the characteristics of the network slice included in the network slice generation request, and transmits first setting information for setting the determined value of the item to at least one of the communication facilities; a third step in which at least one of the management devices generates a transfer rule for transferring data transmitted from the wireless terminal to at least one of the data processing devices by associating identification information of a wireless terminal communicating through the generated network slice, characteristics of the network slice used by the wireless terminal, and identification information of at least one of the data processing devices in the network slice, and executes a third process in which the management device generates a transfer rule for transferring data transmitted from the wireless terminal to at least one of the data processing devices, and transmits second setting information for setting the transfer rule to at least one of the communication facilities; Including, At least one of the management devices manages communication quality condition management information for managing quality conditions related to communication quality to be satisfied for each characteristic of the network slice; The method for generating a network slice includes: a fourth step in which at least one of the management devices acquires communication status information including a value related to communication quality of at least one of the data processing devices; A fifth step in which at least one of the management devices refers to the communication quality condition management information to identify the quality condition corresponding to the characteristics of the network slice created in at least one of the communication facilities; a sixth step in which at least one of the management devices determines, based on the communication state information, whether the quality conditions corresponding to the characteristics of the network slice created in at least one of the communication facilities are satisfied; A method for generating a network slice, characterized in that it includes a seventh step of executing the second process and the third process if at least one of the management devices does not satisfy the quality conditions corresponding to the characteristics of the network slice generated in at least one of the communication facilities.

6. A method for generating a network slice according to claim 5, comprising: the network system includes a plurality of the data processing devices; The seventh step includes: selecting the data processing devices to be included in the network slice based on the communication state information when at least one of the management devices does not satisfy the quality conditions corresponding to the characteristics of the network slice created in at least one of the communication facilities; A method for generating a network slice, comprising a step in which at least one of the management devices executes the second process and the third process.

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