Method and system for managing resources in a network environment

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method [400] and a system [300] for managing resources in a network environment The present disclosure encompasses: a transceiver unit [302] to receive, at an inventory manager module [308], a set of resource data comprising at least a set of host data, and at least a set of site data. Further, a processing unit [304] to determine, from the received set of resource data, at least a target resource to be provisioned, where at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof. Further, the transceiver unit [302] to transmit, from the inventory manager module [308], a set of details relating to at least the target resource to a docker service module [310]. Further, a provisioning unit [306] to provision, at the docker service module [310], at least the target resource.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING RESOURCES IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENTTECHNICAL FIELD

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

[0002] The following description of the related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of the prior art.

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

[0004] In modem network environments, managing and provisioning resources such as hosts and sites across multiple locations presents a significant challenge. Users often struggle with efficiently grouping and deploying the resources due to the complex nature of infrastructure management. Further, for performing tasks such as aggregates of hosts and sites requires manualintervention which also increases the risk of errors, resource mismanagement, and delays in deployment. Additionally, users face difficulties in synchronizing resource data across different environments, resulting in inconsistencies and inefficient resource utilization. Moreover, another common issue arises in fault tolerance and high availability during resource provisioning and management. When a critical instance responsible for handling inventory requests or resource updates fails, users experience downtime, leading to interrupted services and delays in provisioning new resources. Further, updating and modifying resource configurations during runtime may further lead to operational inefficiencies.

[0005] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to provide a method and a system to solve the mentioned difficulties, which the present disclosure aims to address.OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.

[0007] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for managing resources in a network environment.

[0008] It is another object of the present disclosure is for proper site and host creation with the available resources initially from data provided by docker team and later orchestrated by Swarm manager.

[0009] It is yet another object of the present disclosure for proper resource inventory management by create / update / get / delete operations for all Sites, hosts, POD and Host Aggregate, which can be performed on a management and orchestration (MANO) platform.

[0010] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to have auto sync inventory if there is any ambiguity with the actual data.SUMMARY

[0011] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0012] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for managing resources in a network environment. The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit, at an inventory manager module, a set of resource data comprising at least a set of host data, and at least a set of site data. Further, the method comprises determining, by the processing unit, from the received set of resource data, at least a target resource to be provisioned, where at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof. Next, the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, from the inventory manager module, a set of details relating to at least the target resource, to a docker service module. Thereafter, the method comprises provisioning, by a provisioning unit, at the docker service module, at least the target resource.

[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises updating, by the transceiver unit, at the inventory manager module, details related to the at least provisioned target resource.

[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit, from a user interface (UI), the set of resource data.

[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises providing, by the transceiver unit, at the UI, details related to the at least provisioned target resource.

[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, at least the target resource comprises a plurality of hosts, and a plurality of sites, and further the method comprises creating, by the processing unit, one or more aggregates of the at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites, and the one or more aggregates are created based on predetermined resource attributes of at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites.

[0017] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in response to a successful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, themethod comprises updating, by the transceiver unit, at the inventory manager module, details of the created one or more aggregates, and the corresponding resources allocated to the one or more aggregates.

[0018] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in response to an unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, a notification indicative of unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates, and updating, by the transceiver unit, at the inventory manager module, details relating to the notification.

[0019] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the predetermined resource attributes are provided by a user of the network environment.

[0020] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for managing resources in a network environment. The system comprises a transceiver unit configured to receive, at an inventory manager module, a set of resource data comprising at least a set of host data, and at least a set of site data. Further, the system comprise a processing unit connected at least to the transceiver unit, the processing unit configured to determine, from the received set of resource data, at least a target resource to be provisioned, where at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof. Further, the transceiver unit is configured to transmit, from the inventory manager module, a set of details relating to at least the target resource to a docker service module. Further, the system comprises a provisioning unit connected at least to the transceiver unit and the processing unit, the provisioning unit configured to provision, at the docker service module, at least the target resource.

[0021] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium, storing instructions for managing resources in a network environment, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit to receive, at an inventory manager module, a set of resource data comprising at least a set of host data, and at least a set of site data; a processing unit to determine, from the received set of resource data, at least a target resource to be provisioned, wherein at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof; the transceiver unit to transmit, from the inventory manager module, a set ofdetails relating to at least the target resource to a docker service module; and a provisioning unit to provision, at the docker service module, at least the target resource.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0023] FIG.l illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture / platform, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for managing resources in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for managing resources in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary call flow diagram for managing resources in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for managing resources in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0029] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above.

[0031] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0032] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail.

[0033] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operationsmay be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure.

[0034] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0035] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor” includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or processing unit is a hardware processor.

[0036] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”, “a smartdevice”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”, “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and / or computing device or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The user equipment / device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0037] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or computer- readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.

[0038] As used herein “interface” or “user interface” refers to a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface may also refer to a set of rules or protocols that define communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.

[0039] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.

[0040] As used herein the transceiver unit includes at least one receiver and at least one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals, information or a combination thereof between units / components within the system and / or connected with the system.

[0041] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing a method and a system of managing resources in a network environment. The present disclosure receives a set of resource data, including host and site information, and processes the data to identify target resources for provisioning by creating aggregates of multiple hosts and sites based on predefined resource attributes, such as availability zones or device profiles. Once the aggregates are successfully created, the aggregates are updated at the inventory with the relevant details. In the case of a failure, the cause of failure is also storedat the inventory. The present disclosure then provisions the identified target resources, updates the inventory, and displays relevant information to the user interface for continuous management.

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture / platform

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

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

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

[0100] , The MANO architecture

[0100] may be used to auto-instantiate the VNFs into the corresponding environment of the present disclosure so that it could help in onboarding other vendor(s) CNFs and VNFs to the platform.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture

[0100] comprises a user interface layer

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

[0104] , a platform foundation services module

[0106] , a platform core services module

[0108] and a platform resource adapters and utilities module

[0112] , All the components are assumed to be connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure.

[0044] The NFV and SDN design function module

[0104] comprises a VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

[1042] , a VNF catalogue

[1044] , a network services catalogue

[1046] , a network slicing and service chaining manager

[1048] , a physical and virtual resource manager

[1050] and a CNF lifecycle manager

[1052] , The VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

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

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

[1042] may be responsible for determining which sequence to be followed for executing the process. For e.g. in an AMF network function of the communication network (such as a 5G network), sequence for execution of processes Pl and P2 etc. The VNF catalogue

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

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

[1048] manages the slicing (an ordered and connected sequence of network service / network functions(NFs)) that must be applied to a specific networked data packet. The physical and virtual resource manager

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

[1042] , the CNF lifecycle manager

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

[0045] The platforms foundation services module

[0106] comprises a microservices elastic load balancer

[1062] , an identity and access manager

[1064] , a command line interface (CLI)

[1066] , a central logging manager

[1068] , and an event routing manager

[1070] , The microservices elastic load balancer

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0046] The platforms core services module

[0108] comprises NFV infrastructure monitoring manager

[1082] , an assure manager

[1084] , a performance manager

[1086] , a policy execution engine

[1088] , a capacity monitoring manager

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

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

[1094] , an NFV platform decision analytics

[1096] , a platform NoSQL DB

[1098] , a platform schedulers and cron jobs

[1100] , a VNF backup & upgrade manager

[1102] , a microservice auditor

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

[1106] , The NFV infrastructure monitoring manager

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[1088] , the configuration manager & GCT

[1094] and the NPDA

[1096] work together. Theplatform NoSQL DB

[1098] may be a database for storing all the inventory (both physical and logical) as well as the metadata of the VNFs and CNF. The platform schedulers and cron jobs

[1100] schedules the task such as but not limited to triggering of an event, traverse the network graph etc. The VNF backup & upgrade manager

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0047] The platform resource adapters and utilities module

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

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

[1124] , a docker service adaptor

[1126] , an API adapter

[1128] , and a NFV gateway

[1130] , The platform external API adaptor and gateway

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

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

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

[1126] may be the interface provided between the telecom cloud and the MANO architecture

[0100] for communication. The API adapter

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

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

[0100] ,

[0048] The docker service adapter (DSA)

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

[1126] offers REST endpoints for key operations, including uploading container images to a Docker registry, terminating CNFC instances, and creating Docker volumes and networks. CNFs, which are network functions packaged as containers, may consist of multiple CNFCs. The DSA

[1126] facilitates the deployment, configuration, and management of these components by interacting with Docker's API, ensuring proper setup and scalability within a containerized environment. This approach provides a modular and flexible framework for handling network functions in a virtualized network setup.

[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device

[0200] (herein, also referred to as a computer system

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

[0200] may also implement a method for managing resources in a network environment, utilising a system, or one or more sub-systems, provided in the network. In another implementation, the computing device

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

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

[0050] The computing device

[0200] may include a bus

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

[0204] coupled with bus

[0202] for processing said information. The hardware processor

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

[0200] may also include a main memory

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

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

[0204] , The main memory

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

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

[0204] , render the computing device

[0200] into a special purpose device that is customized to perform operations according to the instructions. The computing device

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

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

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

[0204] ,

[0051] A storage device

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

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

[0200] may be coupled via the bus

[0202] to a display

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

[0200] , An input device

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

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

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

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

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

[0212] , The cursor controller

[0216] typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allows the cursor controller

[0216] to specify positions in a plane.

[0052] The computing device

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

[0200] , causes or programs the computing device

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

[0200] in response to the processor

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

[0206] , The one or more instructions may be read into the main memory

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

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

[0206] causes the processor

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

[0053] The computing device

[0200] also may include a communication interface

[0218] coupled to the bus

[0202] , The communication interface

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

[0220] that is connected to a local network

[0222] , For example, the communication interface

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

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

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

[0054] The computing device

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

[0220] and the communication interface

[0218] , In an example, a server

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

[0228] , the ISP

[0226] , the local network

[0222] , the host

[0224] and the communication interface

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

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

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

[0055] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system

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

[0300] comprises at least one transceiver unit

[0302] , at least one processing unit

[0304] , and at least one provisioning unit

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

[0300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in the figures all units shown within the system

[0300] should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown, however, the system

[0300] may comprise multiple such units or the system

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

[0300] may be present in a user device / user equipment

[0102] to implement the features of the present disclosure. The system

[0300] may be a part of the user device

[0102] or may be independent of but in communication with the user device

[0102] (may also referred herein as a UE). In another implementation, the system

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

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

[0056] The system

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

[0300] ,

[0057] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged that the functionality described for the various components / units can be implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0058] The system

[0300] comprises the transceiver unit

[0302] , The transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to receive, at an inventory manager module

[0308] , a set of resource data comprising at least a set of host data, and at least a set of site data. Herein, the inventory manager module

[0308] may refer to a network entity responsible for maintaining a record of the set of resource data such as the set of hosts and sites, that may further ensure that an up-to data information of all the available resources associated with said network is easily accessible. Further, the resource data mentioned herein may reflect a type of data required for managing and updating said set of resources. In an exemplary implementation, the inventory manager module

[0308] may be a physical-virtual inventory manager (PVIM) module.

[0059] Furthermore, the set of host data may refer to the set of details associated with a physical or a virtual entity (host) within the network. The set of host data may further include but not be limited to a CPU capacity, an available memory, a host identity, a total storage size and similar that would be known to a person skilled in the art.

[0060] Similarly, the set of site data may refer to the set of details associated with the location of the host. The set of site data may further include, without limitations, a county code, a city code, a regional code, and other dependable features that would be known to a person skilled in the art.

[0061] Further, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to receive, from a user interface (UI), the set of resource data. In one implementation, the transceiver unit

[0302] may receive the set of resource data from the UI. In another implementation, the transceiver unit

[0302] may receive the set of resource data from an external node device, through the UI.

[0062] The system

[0300] further comprises the processing unit

[0304] connected at least to the transceiver unit

[0302] , The processing unit

[0304] is configured to determine, from the received set of resource data, at least a target resource to be provisioned. In an aspect, the processing unit

[0304] may determine the at least the target resource based on one or more internal operational needs. In another aspect, the processing unit

[0304] may determine the at least the target resource based on user-defined requirements. The user defined requirements may be further received, at the processing unit

[0304] , from the UI.

[0063] In an implementation, the at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof. In another implementation, the at least the target resource comprises a plurality of hosts, and a plurality of sites.

[0064] Thereafter, post identification of the at least the target resource, the processing unit

[0304] is configured to create one or more aggregates of the at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites. Herein, the aggregation refers to a process of combining multiple hosts and / or sites into a single logical group to optimize resource management, improve performance, or meet specific deployment needs.

[0065] Furthermore, the one or more aggregates are created based on predetermined resource attributes of the at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites.

[0066] In one example, the processing unit

[0304] may aggregate the plurality of hosts within a single site based on a performance metrics of said plurality of hosts.

[0067] In another example, the processing unit

[0304] may aggregate the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites based on a geographic location.

[0068] In yet another example, the processing unit

[0304] may aggregate the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites based on redundancy needs, where the plurality of hosts from different locations are grouped to provide standby support in case of downtime.

[0069] In yet another example, the processing unit

[0304] may aggregate the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites based on a level of security required.

[0070] It may be further noted that all such ways of aggregating the plurality of hots, and the plurality of sites provided here are only exemplary and in no manner to be construed to limit the scope of the present subject matter in any manner. Any other technique or method known to a person skilled in the art may be used by the system

[0300] for aggregating the plurality of hots, and the plurality of sites.

[0071] Herein, the predetermined resource attributes are provided by the user of the network environment. The predetermined resource attributes may include the performance specifications, the geographic preferences, redundancy requirements, and the security constraints as mentioned above.

[0072] Thereafter, in response to a successful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to update, at the inventory manager module

[0308] , details of the created one or more aggregates, and the corresponding resources allocated to the one or more aggregates. The transceiver unit

[0302] may store the details of created one or more aggregates in a database

[0312] associated with the inventory manager module

[0308] , The details of created one or more aggregates may include the identification of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites that form part of the aggregatebut are not limited to host name, site location, an aggregate identifier and similar known to a person skilled in the art. Further, the corresponding resources allocated to the one or more aggregates may include but not limited to CPU, memory, storage, or any other resource known to a person skilled in the art.

[0073] In an implementation, the update at the inventory manager module

[0308] may allow the inventory manager module

[0308] to be provided with the latest information relating to resources in the network, thereby further preventing over-provisioning or a misallocation of resources.

[0074] However, in response to an unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to transmit a notification indicative of unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates. In one example the notification indicative of the unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates may involve an unavailability of resources, such as if the processing unit

[0304] aggregate hosts with specific performance metrics but unfortunately the hosts are not available, then the notification indicative may mention that the same.

[0075] In another example, the notification may include one or more network issues, which may occur due to network latency or connectivity issues between the plurality of sites, and which may have caused the unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates.

[0076] In yet another example, the notification may include a configuration error, such as configuration mismatches that may have prevented the successful aggregation.

[0077] Thereafter, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to update, at the inventory manager module

[0308] , details relating to the notification. After the unsuccessful creation of the aggregation of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the transceiver unit

[0302] further updates the inventory manager module

[0308] , However, in such case, the details of failure such as error codes, reasons for failure, or the specific hosts / sites involved in the unsuccessful attempt are updated instead of the resource allocation.

[0078] The updating of the failure attempts at the inventory manager module

[0308] may further indicate that the resources involved in the failed attempt are still available for future use in order to prevent any resource conflicts or double-booking.

[0079] Thereafter, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to transmit, from the inventory manager module

[0308] , a set of details relating to at least the target resource to a docker service module

[0310] , The docker service module

[0310] is responsible for managing the deployment and provisioning of resources in the form of containers. The docker is a platform that allows a plurality of applications or services to have their other dependencies which may allow an easy deployment of the plurality of applications and services in different environments. Herein, the docker service module

[0310] manages and facilitates the provisioning of resources, including the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, in the form of services that are capable of performing tasks such as resource allocation, deployment, and monitoring within the container environment. In an exemplary implementation, the docker service module

[0310] is a docker service adapter (DSA) module.

[0080] The system

[0300] further comprises the provisioning unit

[0306] connected at least to the transceiver unit

[0302] and the processing unit

[0304] , The provisioning unit

[0306] is configured to provision, at the docker service module

[0310] , at least the target resource. Herein, the provisioning of at least the target resource may involve allocation of necessary resources (such as CPU, memory, container configurations and alike) to deploy the at least one of the plurality of applications or services. The provisioning of the at least the target resource may be performed in a following manner: Firstly, the creation or initialization of docker container with the appropriate configuration is performed. Further, the at least target resource is allocated to the services offered by the containers. Next, the double checking that the plurality of host servers is properly integrated into the container and are ready for service.

[0081] Post completion of the provisioning of the at least the target resource, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to update, at the inventory manager module

[0308] , details related to the at least provisioned target resource. The details related to the at least provisioned target resource are further updated at the database

[0312] , Herein, the details may involve a provisioning status of the at least the target resource. Further, the details may further involve an information on the lifecycle of the provisioned resource which may include uptime, start time, and any relevant operational metrics that may help in managing the resource within the inventory manager module

[0308] ,

[0082] Post updating the aforementioned details at inventory manager module

[0308] , the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to provide, at the UI, details related to the at least provisioned target resource. The details related to the at least provisioned target resource may include a confirmation such as a message indicating that the request resource has been successfully provisioned. Further, the details may include other resource details such as host ID, site location, amount of resource location and other relevant details, along with real-time data showing the performance and health of the provisioned resource. The delivery of the details related to the at least provisioned target resource allows user to monitor the status and configuration of the provisioned resources directly from the UI. The UI facilitates an accessible platform for users to track, manage, and interact with their provisioned resources.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram

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

[0400] is performed by the system

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

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

[0084] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method

[0400] initially starts at step

[0402] ,

[0085] At step

[0404] , the method

[0400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , at the inventory manager module

[0308] , the set of resource data comprising at least the set of host data, and at least the set of site data.

[0086] Further, the method

[0400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , from a user interface (UI), the set of resource data.

[0087] At step

[0406] , the method

[0400] comprises determining, by the processing unit

[0304] , from the received set of resource data, at least the target resource to be provisioned.

[0088] The method

[0400] explains that the at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof. The method

[0400] further explains that at least the target resource comprises a plurality of hosts, and a plurality of sites.

[0089] The method

[0400] further comprises creating, by the processing unit

[0304] , one or more aggregates of the at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites, and the one or more aggregates are created based on predetermined resource attributes of at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites. Herein, the predetermined resource attributes are provided by a user of the network environment.

[0090] The method

[0400] further explains that in response to the successful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the method

[0400] comprises updating, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , at the inventory manager module

[0308] , details of the created one or more aggregates, and the corresponding resources allocated to the one or more aggregates.

[0091] The method

[0400] further explains that in response to an unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the method

[0400] comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , the notification indicative of unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates, and further updating, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , at the inventory manager module

[0308] , details relating to the notification.

[0092] At step

[0408] , the method

[0400] comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , from the inventory manager module

[0308] , a set of details relating to at least the target resource, to a docker service module

[0310] ,

[0093] At step

[0410] , the method

[0400] comprises provisioning, by the provisioning unit

[0306] , at the docker service module

[0310] , at least the target resource.

[0094] The method

[0400] further comprises updating, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , at the inventory manager module

[0308] , details related to the at least provisioned target resource.

[0095] The method

[0400] herein terminates at step

[0412] ,

[0096] Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary call flow diagram

[0500] for managing resources in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. The call flow diagram

[0500] includes a system

[0500] which comprise a user interface

[0502] , an inventory management module

[0504] , an adapter service

[0506] , and a virtual management module

[0508] ,

[0097] Herein, the inventory management module

[0504] is responsible for maintaining the inventory of physical and virtual resources. The inventory management module

[0504] provides the required metadata (such as device profile and availability zone) needed to create a host aggregate in the network environment.

[0098] Further, the adapter service

[0506] is a microservice that interacts with the adapter service

[0506] to deploy virtual machines and other related instances. The adapter service

[0506] handles requests from users and forwards them to the virtual management module

[0508] to create resources such as host aggregates.

[0099] Furthermore, the virtual management module

[0508] manages the computing, storage, and network resources in a virtualized infrastructure. The virtual management module

[0508] receives API requests from adapter service

[0506] and executes operations like creating host aggregates in the network environment.

[0100] Further in accordance with the FIG. 5, the call flow diagram

[0500] for managing resources in a network environment is presented in the following steps:-

[0101] At step

[0502] , the UI initiates a request to the inventory management module

[0504] to fetch the device profile.

[0102] At step

[0504] , post fetching the device profile, the inventory management module

[0504] sends an acknowledgement back to the UI with the requested information.

[0103] At step

[0506] , the UI further initiates the request to the inventory management module

[0504] to fetch the availability zone information.

[0104] At step

[0508] , post fetching the availability zone information, the inventory management module

[0504] sends an acknowledgement back to the UI with the requested information.

[0105] At step

[0510] , post receiving the acknowledgement, the UI triggers the host aggregate creation event by sending a request to adapter service

[0506] , Herein, the host aggregate in the network environment is a logical grouping of hosts that share a common set of characteristics. For instance, hosts in a specific geographic region (availability zone) or those supporting a specific type of hardware configuration (device profile) can be grouped together to form a host aggregate and are presented as: [AZ Name]_[Device Profile Group],

[0106] At step

[0512] , post receiving the host aggregate creation request, the adapter service

[0506] process the metadata which involves attaching the device profile information into a metadata object and the availability zone information into host aggregate data.

[0107] At step

[0514] , the adapter service

[0506] forwards the host aggregate creation request to the virtual management module

[0508] using host aggregate API of the network environment. The API mentioned herein is used to create the logical grouping of compute hosts in the virtualized environment.

[0108] At step

[0516] , the virtual management module

[0508] executes the request to create the host aggregate.

[0109] At step

[0518] , the virtual management module

[0508] sends a response back to adapter service

[0506] confirming whether the operation was successful or unsuccessful.

[0110] At step

[0520] , post successful creation of the host aggregate, the adapter service

[0506] generates a host aggregate creation notification that includes the details of the newly created Host Aggregate. Further, the notification is sent to the inventory management module

[0504] to update the inventory with the new aggregate details.[OHl] The adapter service

[0506] is further configured to send an acknowledgment to the UI, informing the user that the host aggregate creation was successful. This allows the user to confirm that the grouping of hosts has been established in the network environment.

[0112] Referring to FIG. 6, an exemplary flow diagram

[0600] for managing resources in a network environment, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the exemplary flow

[0600] is performed by the system

[0300] ,

[0113] The flowchart

[0600] starts at step

[0602] ,

[0114] Further, at step

[0604] , the system

[0500] performs an analysis of the site and host data, which may involve gathering relevant attributes such as device profiles, availability zones, and resource specifications.

[0115] Further, at step

[0606] , post analysis of the site and the host data, the details of the site and the host data is transferred to a docker service module

[0310] , The docker service module

[0310] is responsible to provision the target resources (site and hosts) as per the requirement of user.

[0116] Further, at step

[0608] , the system

[0500] awaits a response from the docker service module

[0310] , The response can be a success or a failure depending on the outcome of the provisioning attempt.

[0117] Further, at step

[0610] , if the response indicates a failure in the site or host provisioning, the system

[0500] sets the site creation status as False in a NoSQL Database. The present step ensures that failed provisioning attempts are logged, and no incorrect data is stored regarding site and host creation. Further, the NoSQL Database is updated with the failure details for future reference.

[0118] Further, at step

[0612] , if the provisioning response is successful, the system

[0500] then uses an IN service to store and update the details of the site, host, and resources in the NoSQL Database ensuring that the inventory database is updated with the newly provisioned resources.

[0119] The flowchart

[0600] herein ends at step

[0614] ,

[0120] The present disclosure further provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for managing resources in a network environment, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit

[0302] to receive, at an inventory manager module

[0308] , a set of resourcedata comprising at least a set of host data, and at least a set of site data; a processing unit

[0304] to determine, from the received set of resource data, at least a target resource to be provisioned, wherein at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof; the transceiver unit

[0302] to transmit, from the inventory manager module

[0308] , a set of details relating to at least the target resource to a docker service module

[0310] ; and a provisioning unit

[0306] to provision, at the docker service module

[0310] , at least the target resource.

[0121] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for managing resources in a network environment. The present disclosure provides an asynchronous event-based implementation to manage creation requests during bootup and dynamic modification requests from the UI at runtime. The present solution incorporates fault tolerance, ensuring high availability by automatically transferring request handling to another available inventory instance if one instance fails. The inventory service allows for seamless pod management, enabling users to provision sites by creating new pods with a collection of available hosts, which can later be modified as needed. Further, the present solution ensures autosynchronization of inventory data, maintaining up-to-date resource details across all instances.

[0122] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method [400] for managing resources in a network environment, the method [400] comprising:- receiving, by a transceiver unit [302], at an inventory manager module [308], a set of resource data comprising at least a set of host data, and at least a set of site data;- determining, by a processing unit [304], from the received set of resource data, at least a target resource to be provisioned, wherein at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof;- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], from the inventory manager module [308], a set of details relating to at least the target resource, to a docker service module [310]; and- provisioning, by a provisioning unit [306], at the docker service module [310], at least the target resource.

2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method [400] comprises updating, by the transceiver unit [302], at the inventory manager module [308], details related to the at least provisioned target resource.

3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method [400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], from a user interface (UI), the set of resource data.

4. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method [400] comprises providing, by the transceiver unit [302], at the UI, details related to the at least provisioned target resource.

5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the target resource comprises a plurality of hosts, and a plurality of sites, and wherein the method [400] comprises creating, by the processing unit [304], one or more aggregates of the at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites, and wherein the one or more aggregates are created based on predetermined resource attributes of at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites.

6. The method [400] as claimed in claim 5, wherein, in response to a successful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the method [400] comprises updating, by the transceiver unit [302], at the inventory manager module [308], details of the created one or more aggregates, and the corresponding resources allocated to the one or more aggregates.

7. The method [400] as claimed in claim 5, wherein, in response to an unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the method [400] comprises:- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], a notification indicative of unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates; and- updating, by the transceiver unit [302], at the inventory manager module [308], details relating to the notification.

8. The method [400] as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predetermined resource attributes are provided by a user of the network environment.

9. A system [300] for managing resources in a network environment, the system [300] comprising:- a transceiver unit [302] configured to receive, at an inventory manager module [308], a set of resource data comprising at least a set of host data, and at least a set of site data;- a processing unit [304] connected at least to the transceiver unit [302], the processing unit [304] configured to determine, from the received set of resource data, at least a target resource to be provisioned, wherein at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof;- the transceiver unit [302] configured to transmit, from the inventory manager module [308], a set of details relating to at least the target resource to a docker service module [310]; and- a provisioning unit [306] connected at least to the transceiver unit [302] and the processing unit [304], the provisioning unit [306] configured to provision, at the docker service module [310], at least the target resource.

10. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transceiver unit [302] is configured to update, at the inventory manager module [308], details related to the at least provisioned target resource.

11. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transceiver unit [302] is configured to receive, from a user interface (UI), the set of resource data.

12. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transceiver unit [302] is configured to provide, at the UI, details related to the at least provisioned target resource.

13. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least the target resource comprises a plurality of hosts, and a plurality of sites, and wherein the processing unit [304] is configured to create one or more aggregates of the at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites, and wherein the one or more aggregates are created based on predetermined resource attributes of the at least one of the plurality of hosts, and the plurality of sites.

14. The system [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in response to a successful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the transceiver unit [302] is configured to update, at the inventory manager module [308], details of the created one or more aggregates, and the corresponding resources allocated to the one or more aggregates.

15. The system [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in response to an unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates of at least one of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of sites, the transceiver unit [302] is configured to:- transmit a notification indicative of unsuccessful creation of the one or more aggregates; and- update, at the inventory manager module [308], details relating to the notification.

16. The system [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein the predetermined resource attributes are provided by a user of the network environment.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for managing resources in a network environment, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes:- a transceiver unit [302] to receive, at an inventory module, a set of resource data comprising at least a set of host data, and at least a set of site data;- a processing unit [304] to determine, from the received set of resource data, at least a target resource to be provisioned, wherein at least the target resource comprises one of at least a host, at least a site, and a combination thereof;- the transceiver unit [302] to transmit, from the inventory manager module [308], a set of details relating to at least the target resource to a docker service module [310]; and- a provisioning unit [306] to provision, at the docker service module [310], at least the target resource.

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