Method and system for managing inventory of a network

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to method and system for managing inventory of a network The disclosure encompasses: receiving, a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions; transmitting, a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request; receiving, a set of resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing; retrieving, a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit; comparing, the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween; and syncing, the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING INVENTORY OF A NETWORKFIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for managing inventory of a network.BACKGROUND

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

[0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on 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] Auditor service (AU) audits the resources in terms of physical memory, RAM and CPU at Inventory Manager. For inventory to close sync with real time available / used resources and minimizes the mismatch between Inventory Manager (IM) and real time hardware, the users have to check manually and update the same. There is a need to automate this process wherein AU is able to detect whether the hosts contain lesser / more containers than the amount present ininventory managed by IM and then auto-update. Also, there is no automation to check for the actual resources used versus resources allocated in inventory.

[0005] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to provide an efficient system and method for managing inventory of a network, which the present disclosure aims to address.SUMMARY

[0006] 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.

[0007] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for managing inventory of a network. The method includes receiving, by a transceiver unit at an auditor service (AU) unit, a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions. Next, the method includes transmitting, by the transceiver unit, a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request. Next, the method includes receiving, by the transceiver unit, a set of resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing. Next, the method includes retrieving, by a retrieving unit at the AU unit, a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit. Next, the method includes comparing, by a comparator unit, the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween. Thereafter, the method includes syncing, by a processing unit at the AU unit, the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation.

[0008] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the syncing comprises updating, by the processing unit, the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit.

[0009] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the one or more network functions is selected from a group consisting of container network function components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components (VNFCs).

[0010] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the resources are audited based on at least one of a pre-defined schedule and a manual request.

[0011] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the entity comprises at least one of a user interface (UI), a command line interface (CLI), and a platform scheduler and cron job (PSC).

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for managing inventory of a network. The system comprises an auditor service (AU) unit. The AU unit further comprises a transceiver unit configured to: receive a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions; transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request; receive a set of resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing. The system further comprises a retrieving unit configured to retrieve a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit. The system further comprises a comparator unit configured to compare the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween. The system furthermore comprises a processing unit configured to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation.

[0013] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for managing inventory of a network, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit of the system to: receive a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions; transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request; receive a set of resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing; a retrieving unit of the system to retrieve a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit; a comparator unit of the system to compare the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween; a processing unit of the system to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation.OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.

[0015] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method automating the sync process of PVIM with real time details from the SA of the resource utilization by the CNFC or VNFC.

[0016] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution for on demand clearance of the mismatch between actual resources and the entries present at inventory.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] 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.

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture.

[0019] 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.

[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for managing inventory of a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for managing inventory of a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary system architecture for managing inventory of a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary sequence flow diagram for managing inventory of a network, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0024] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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 at least one of a transceiver unit, a processing unit, a storage unit, a detection unit and any other such unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0032] 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.

[0033] As used herein “interface” or “user interface refers to a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface may also be referred to a set of rules or protocols that define communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.

[0034] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.

[0035] As used herein the transceiver unit includes at least one receiver and at least one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals, information or a combination thereof between units / components within the system and / or connected with the system.

[0036] As used herein, Auditor service (AU) unit (such as microservice auditor unit) perform the auditing of resources associated with containerized network function components (CNFCs) and virtual network function components (VNFCs) in the network.

[0037] As used herein, Physical and Virtual Inventory Manager (PVIM) module maintains the inventory and its resources. After getting a request to reserve resources from PEEGN, PVIM adds up the resources consumed by particular network function as used resources and removes them from free resources. Further, the PVIM updates this in NoSQL database.

[0038] As used herein, Docker Service Adapter (DSA) is a microservices-based system designed to deploy and manage Container Network Functions (CNFs) and their components (CNFCs) acrossDocker nodes. It offers REST endpoints for key operations, including uploading container images to a Docker registry, terminating CNFC instances, and creating Docker volumes and networks. CNFs, which are network functions packaged as containers, may consist of multiple CNFCs. The DSA facilitates the deployment, configuration, and management of these components by interacting with Docker's API, ensuring proper setup and scalability within a containerized environment. This approach provides a modular and flexible framework for handling network functions in a virtualized network setup.

[0039] As used herein Platform Schedulers & Cron Jobs (PSC) may schedule a cron job for auditing of resources for the CNFC / VNFC in the network at scheduled time period and send a syncing request accordingly.

[0040] 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 method and system for managing inventory of a network.

[0041] The present disclosure aims to overcome the issues discussed in the background section and other existing problems in this field of technology by auditor requesting the details of the servers on which CNFCs are running from Inventory Manager and then using the details, Swarm Adaptor is used to fetch the actual resources used on the actual servers. Auditor using the details fetched from Swarm adaptor, checks whether the amount of resources being used by CNFC / VNFC at server level match with the data in inventory’s database. For CNFCs with different number of resources, the details are sent to inventory manager to update the same at its database.

[0042] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.

[0043] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture

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

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

[0100] deploys the network node(s) in theform 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.

[0045] 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 Schedulers & Cron Jobs 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.

[0046] The NFV and SDN design function module

[0104] comprises a VNF lifecycle manager (compute)

[1042] , a VNF catalog

[1044] , a network services catalog

[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 catalog

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

[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.

[0047] The platforms foundation services module

[0106] comprises a microservices elastic load balancer

[1062] , an identity & access manager

[1064] , a command line interface (CLI)

[1066] , a central logging manager

[1068] , and an event routing manager

[1070] , The microservices elasticload balancer

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

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

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

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

[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.

[0048] The platforms core services module

[0108] comprises NFV infrastructure monitoring manager

[1082] , an assure manager

[1084] , a performance manager

[1086] , a policy execution engine (PEGN)

[1088] , a capacity monitoring manager

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

[1092] , a configuration manager & GCT

[1094] , an NFV platform decision analytics (NPDA)

[1096] , a platform NoSQL DB

[1098] ; a platform schedulers and cron jobs

[1100] , a VNF backup & upgrade manager

[1102] , a microservice auditor

[1104] (also referred to herein as microservice auditor unit

[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. The platform NoSQL DB

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

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

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

[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, themicroservice auditor unit

[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 architecture

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

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

[0049] 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 swarm adaptor (DSA)

[1126] ; an OpenStack API adapter

[1128] ; and a NFV gateway

[1130] , The platform external API adaptor and gateway

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

[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 swarm adaptor (DSA)

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

[0100] for communication. The OpenStack API adapter

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

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

[0100] ,

[0050] Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary block diagram of a computing device

[0200] (also referred herein as a computer system

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

[0200] may also implement a method for managing inventory of a network utilising the system. In another implementation, the computing device

[0200] itself implements the method for managing inventory of a network 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.

[0051] The computing device

[0200] may include a bus

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

[0204] coupled with bus

[0202] for processing information. The hardware processor

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

[0200] may also include a main memory

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

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

[0204] , The main memory

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

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

[0204] , render the computing device

[0200] into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions. The computing device

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

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

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

[0204] ,

[0052] A storage device

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

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

[0200] may be coupled via the bus

[0202] to a display

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0212] , The input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow the device to specify positions in a plane.

[0053] The computing device

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

[0200] causes or programs the computing device

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

[0200] in response to the processor

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

[0206] , Such instructions may be read into the main memory

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

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

[0206] causes the processor

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

[0054] The computing device

[0200] also may include a communication interface

[0218] coupled to the bus

[0202] , The communication interface

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

[0220] that is connected to a local network

[0222] , For example, the communication interface

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

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

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

[0055] The computing device

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

[0220] and the communication interface

[0218] , In the Internet example, a server

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

[0228] , the ISP

[0226] , the local network

[0222] , the host

[0224] and the communication interface

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

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

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

[0056] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system

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

[0300] comprises at least one microservice auditor unit

[1104] , The microservice auditor unit

[1104] comprises at least one transceiver unit

[0302] , at least one retrieving unit

[0304] , at least one comparator unit

[0306] , and at least one processing unit

[0308] , Also, all of the components / units of the system

[0300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. 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. In an 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.

[0057] The system

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

[0300] ,

[0058] The system

[0300] comprises a microservice auditor unit

[1104] , The microservice auditor unit

[1104] further comprises a transceiver unit

[0302] , The transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to receive a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions. For managing inventory of the network, the transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to receive syncing request for syncing the set of resources from the entity such as, at least one of a user interface (UI), a command line interface (CLI), and a platform scheduler and cron job (PSC). The set of resources may be such as, but not limited to, server, physical memory,RAM and CPU. In an exemplary implementation, the one or more network functions is selected from a group consisting of containerized network function components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components (VNFCs). In an exemplary implementation, the one or more network functions may be associated with the network such as, but not limited to, 5G network, higher than 5G network (e.g., 6G network). The entity may send syncing request for avoiding the mismatching of the allotted resources and consumption of the resources.

[0059] As used herein, the CLI is used by user (for e.g. by any network admin) for executing / running a command from CLI interface to raise a “sync request”. For example. “ START SYNC FOR CNF” .

[0060] In an exemplary implementation, the resources are audited based on at least one of a predefined schedule and a manual request. For example, a user such as, a network administrator, a service provider or an authorised person may define the pred-defined schedule such as, but not limited to every hour, number of day(s), and number of week(s) for the auditing. Further, in realtime using manual request the auditing may be done by sending syncing request vi the user interface or CLI.

[0061] The transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request. After receiving the syncing request, the transceiver unit

[0302] at the microservice auditor unit

[1104] is configured to transmit the request to the PVIM unit for getting details associated with running the one or more network functions such as, CNFCs or VNFCs.

[0062] The transceiver unit

[0302] is configured to receive a set of resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing. In response to the request, the transceiver unit

[0302] at the microservice auditor unit

[1104] is configured to receive from the PVIM the set of resource details associated with the list of servers on which the one or more network functions, such as CNFCs and VNFCs are executing. In an exemplary implementation, the set of resources details may associate with CPU, physical memory and RAM.

[0063] The system

[0300] further comprises a retrieving unit

[0304] , The retrieving unit

[0304] is configured to retrieve a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit. Further, the retrieving unit

[0304] at the microservice auditor unit

[1104] is configured to retrieve the set of current resource details associated with the list ofservers, such as but not limited to, current consumption of CPU and memory by the CNFCs / VNFCs from the SA unit.

[0064] The system

[0300] further comprises a comparator unit

[0306] , The comparator unit

[0306] is communicatively coupled with the transceiver unit

[0302] and retrieving unit

[0304] , The comparator unit

[0306] is configured to compare the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween. After receiving the retrieved set of current resource details from the SA unit and received set of resource details from the PVIM, the comparator unit

[0306] is configured for comparing the resources to determine the used or consumed (i.e., current) set of the resources are same or different with the received set of resource details. In an exemplary implementation, the comparator unit

[0306] is configured to determine the deviation between consumed resources and allotted resources. The deviation may be associated with under used resources or over used resources by the CNFCs / VNFCs.

[0065] The system

[0300] further comprises a processing unit

[0308] , The processing unit

[0308] is communicatively coupled the comparator unit

[0306] , The processing unit

[0308] is configured to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation. After receiving the comparison analysis, if there is any deviation is present, the processing unit

[0308] is further configured to update the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation. The processing unit

[0308] is configured to trigger the syncing of the mismatched details of consumed resources and allotted resources associated with the CNFC / VNFC to the PVIM unit. The PVIM unit may store the updated details of the set of resources in a database. After performing the updates, the PVIM unit may provide an acknowledgement to the entity (e.g., UI, CLI and PSC). In an implementation after updating database, the PVIM unit may send an audited report having details of the previous and current consumed resources and allotted resources associated with the CNFC / VNFC to the entity or may store in the database. In another implementation, the user may fetch the audited report manually.

[0066] 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.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 4 an exemplary method flow diagram

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

[0400] is performed by the system

[0300] , As shown in FIG. 4, the method

[0400] starts at step

[0402] ,

[0068] At step

[0404] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit

[0302] at a microservice auditor unit

[1104] , a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions. For managing inventory of the network, the transceiver unit

[0302] may receive syncing request for syncing the set of resources from the entity such as, at least one of a user interface (UI), a command line interface (CLI), and a platform scheduler and cron job (PSC). The set of resources may be such as, but not limited to, server, physical memory, RAM and CPU. In an exemplary implementation, the one or more network functions is selected from a group consisting of containerized network function components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components (VNFCs). In an exemplary implementation, the one or more network functions may be associated with the network such as, but not limited to, 5G network, higher than 5G network (e.g., 6G network). The entity may send syncing request for avoiding the mismatching of the allotted resources and consumption of the resources.

[0069] In an exemplary implementation, the resources are audited based on at least one of a predefined schedule and a manual request. For example, a user such as, a network administrator, a service provider or an authorised person may define the pred-defined schedule such as, but not limited to every hour, number of day(s), and number of week(s) for the auditing. Further, in realtime using manual request the auditing may be done by sending syncing request vi the user interface or CLI.

[0070] Next, at step

[0406] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request. After receiving the syncing request, the transceiver unit

[0302] at the microservice auditor unit

[1104] may transmit the request to the PVIM unit for getting details associated with running the one or more network functions such as, CNFCs or VNFCs.

[0071] Next, at step

[0408] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit

[0302] , a set of resource details associated with a list of servers onwhich at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing. In response to the request, the transceiver unit

[0302] at the microservice auditor unit

[1104] may receive from the PVIM the set of resource details associated with the list of servers on which the one or more network functions, such as CNFCs and VNFCs are executing. In an exemplary implementation, the set of resources details may associate with CPU, physical memory and RAM.

[0072] Next, at step

[0410] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises retrieving, by a retrieving unit

[0304] at the microservice auditor unit

[1104] , a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit. Further, the retrieving unit

[0304] at the microservice auditor unit

[1104] may retrieve the set of current resource details associated with the list of servers, such as but not limited to, current consumption of CPU and memory by the CNFCs / VNFCs from the SA unit.

[0073] Next, at step

[0412] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises comparing, by a comparator unit

[0306] , the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween. After receiving the retrieved set of current resource details from the SA unit and received set of resource details from the PVIM, the comparator unit

[0306] may configured for comparing the resources to determine the used or consumed (i.e., current) set of the resources are same or different with the received set of resource details. In an exemplary implementation, the comparator unit

[0306] is configured to determine the deviation between consumed resources and allotted resources. The deviation may be associated with under used resources or over used resources by the CNFCs / VNFCs.

[0074] Next, at step

[0414] , the method

[0400] as disclosed by the present disclosure comprises syncing, by a processing unit

[0308] at the microservice auditor unit

[1104] , the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation. After receiving the comparison analysis, if there is any deviation is present, the processing unit

[0308] further may update the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation. The processing unit

[0308] may trigger the syncing of the mismatched details of consumed resources and allotted resources associated with the CNFC / VNFC to the PVIM unit. The PVIM unit may store the updated details of the set of resources in a database. After performing the updates, the PVIM unit may provide an acknowledgement to the entity (e.g., UI, CLI and PSC). In an implementation after updating database, the PVIM unit may send an audited report having details of the previous and current consumed resources and allotted resources associated with theCNFC / VNFC to the entity or may store in the database. In another implementation, the user may fetch the audited report manually.

[0075] In an exemplary implementation, the system monitors resource usage such as RAM CPU and disk space. During normal operation, the processing unit at the AU unit periodically syncs with the inventory manager (such as PVIM unit) such that the recorded usage of the resources matches the actual consumption. A deviation may occur if, for example, the CPU usage spikes unexpectedly due to an unanticipated load or if disk space is being consumed faster than expected. Upon detection such a deviation, the system initiates a comparison analysis to identify discrepancies between the expected and actual resource usage. If a mismatch is found, such as higher than expected CPU utilisation, the processing unit will update the resource details in the PVIM unit to reflect this change. If a mismatch is not found than the system does not update the resource details.

[0076] Thereafter, the method

[0400] terminates at step

[0016] ,

[0077] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary system architecture

[0500] for managing inventory of a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the system

[0500] comprises such as an Auditor Service unit

[1104] (also referred as Micro Service Auditor unit

[1104] ), involved in implementation of the features of the present invention. The system

[0500] comprises at least one sync request

[0502] , at least one Physical Virtual Inventory Manager (PVIM) (also referred as Physical & Virtual Resource Manager)

[1050] , at least one centralized database unit

[0504] , at least one docker service Adaptor (DSA) (also referred as Docker Swarm Adaptor (DSA))

[1126] unit, and at least plurality of other microservices.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 5, in a non-limiting implementation of the present solution in other words, the method

[0400] may be configured to perform as depicted in FIG. 4 via at the one or more components as depicted of the system

[0500] as follows:• Syncing of resources is done via on demand (CLI), User Interface (UI) and by scheduled jobs (PSC) by sending from sync request

[0502] ,• The request is received by microservice auditor unit

[1104] to initiate the syncing process for a particular CNF / VNF.• microservice auditor unit

[1104] requests the list of CNFCs / VNFCs in CNF / VNF from PVIM

[1050] ,• Then for every CNFC / VNFC, its details and the server details, on which the CNFC / VNFC is running, are fetched from PVIM

[1050] ,• Thereafter, node details list is also received from PVIM

[1050] ,• For every node in node-list, list of CNFC details with actual resources are fetched per node using Docker swarm adaptor (DSA)

[1126] ,• This list containing actual resources is sent by Docker Swarm Adaptor (DSA)

[1126] back to the microservice auditor unit

[1104] ,• microservice auditor unit

[1104] then checks in database

[0504] of PVIM

[1050] for same values of resources.• If there is any mismatch, those CNFC / VNFC details are clubbed and sent to PVIM

[1050] for updating in database

[0504] ,• PVIM

[1050] then updates the details of the resources on its own database

[0504] ,

[0079] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary sequence flow diagram

[0600] for managing inventory of a network, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, the sequence flow diagram

[0600] comprises a UI

[0602] , a PSC / CLI

[0604] , an Auditor (also referred as microservice auditor unit

[1104] ), a PVIM

[1050] and a DSA

[1126] , The sequence flow diagram

[0600] comprises such as, but not limited to following steps:

[0080] At step SI, PSC / CLI

[0604] may send resource syncing request comprising such as START SYNC FOR CNF, CLI: synccnfc to the Microservice auditor unit

[1104] , In an implementation, UI

[0602] may also send the resource syncing request.

[0081] At step S2, microservice auditor unit

[1104] sends GET CNF LIST FROM PVIM to the PVIM

[1050] ,

[0082] At step S3, PVIM

[1050] sends a response, such as, acknowledgement having GET CNF LIST FROM PVIM ACK and / or CNF list details to the microservice auditor unit

[1104] ,

[0083] At step S4, Microservice auditor unit

[1104] sends GET CNFC LIST BY CNFID to the PVIM

[1050] ,

[0084] At step S5, PVIM

[1050] sends to the Microservice auditor unit

[1104] such as, an acknowledgement having GET CNFC LIST BY CNFID ACK and / or CNFC list.

[0085] At step S6, Microservice auditor unit

[1104] sends FETCH CNFC DETAILS to the DSA

[1126] ,

[0086] At step S7, DSA

[1126] sends such as acknowledgement havingFETCH CNFC DETAILS ACK and / or CNFC details to the Microservice auditor unit

[1104] ,

[0087] At step S8, the microservice auditor unit

[1104] sends a requestGET NODE LIST FROM PVIM to the PVIM

[1050] ,

[0088] At step S9, PVIM

[1050] sends to the Microservice auditor unit

[1104] such as, an acknowledgement having GET NODE LIST FROM PVIM ACK and / or node list. The node list refers to a set of identifiers for a network resources such as server, virtual machines, or devices. Each node may include details such as IP address, resource usage (CPU RAM, disk), and status.

[0089] At step S10, the microservice auditor unit

[1104] sends a request FETCH_SERVICE_LIST_FOR_ NODE to the PVIM

[1050] ,

[0090] At step SI 1, the PVIM

[1050] sends to the Microservice auditor unit

[1104] an acknowledgement having FETCH SERVICE LIST FOR NODE ACK (such as service list for node). The service list for node refers ti the services running on a specific node such as applications or tasks (for example, web servers or database) in a distributed system. When the microservice auditor unit

[1104] requests this lists, the PVIM

[1050] acknowledges by sending details of the services active on the node.

[0091] At step S12, the microservice auditor unit

[1104] sends a request GET_CNFC_LIST_BY_ NODEID to the PVIM

[1050] ,

[0092] At step S13, the PVIM

[1050] sends to the microservice auditor unit

[1104] an acknowledgement having GET CNFC LIST BY NODEID ACK and / or CNFC list for the node ID to the Microservice auditor unit

[1104] ,

[0093] At step SI 4, UI

[0602] sends a request to the Microservice auditor unit

[1104] GET CNFC INVENTORY AUDIT for CNFC audit inventory.

[0094] At step SI 5, the Auditor

[1004] sends to the UI

[0602] an acknowledgement having GET CNFC INVENTORY AUDIT ACK and / or CNFC audit inventory details or report.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 5, the request and response messages are implemented for the syncing resources and auditing process for both CNFC and VNFC.

[0096] The present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for managing inventory of a network, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system

[0300] , causes: a transceiver unit

[0302] of the system to: receive a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions; transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request; receive a set of resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing; a retrieving unit

[0304] of the system to retrieve a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit; a comparator unit

[0306] of the system to compare the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween; a processing unit

[0308] of the system to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation.

[0097] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for automating the sync process of PVIM with real time details from the SA of the resource utilization by the CNFC or VNFC. The present solution provides a real time sync-up of resources at server level and at inventory’s database. The present solution provides on demand clearance of the mismatch between actual resources and the entries present at inventory.

[0098] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the embodiments 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 for managing inventory of a network, the method comprising:- receiving, by a transceiver unit [302] at a microservice auditor unit [1104], a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions;- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302], a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request;- receiving, by the transceiver unit [302], a set of resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing;- retrieving, by a retrieving unit [304] at the microservice auditor unit [1104], a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit;- comparing, by a comparator unit [306], the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween; and- syncing, by a processing unit [308] at the microservice auditor unit [1104], the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the syncing comprises updating, by the processing unit [308], the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more network functions is selected from a group consisting of containerized network function components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components (VNFCs).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resources are audited based on at least one of a pre-defined schedule and a manual request.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the entity comprises at least one of a user interface (UI), a command line interface (CLI), and a platform scheduler and cron job (PSC).

6. A system for managing inventory of a network, the system comprising:- a microservice auditor unit [1104] comprising:- a transceiver unit [302] configured to: o receive a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions; o transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request; o receive a set of resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing;- a retrieving unit [304] configured to retrieve a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit;- a comparator unit [306] configured to compare the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween; and- a processing unit [308] configured to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing unit [308] is further configured to update the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the one or more network functions is selected from a group consisting of containerized network function components (CNFCs), and virtual network function components (VNFCs).

9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the resources are audited based on at least one of a pre-defined schedule and a manual request.

10. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the entity comprises at least one of a user interface (UI), a command line interface (CLI), and a platform scheduler and cron job (PSC).

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for managing inventory of a network, the instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system [300], causes: a transceiver unit [302] of the system to: o receive a syncing request from an entity for syncing of a set of resources associated with one or more network functions; o transmit a request to a physical virtual inventory management (PVIM) unit based on the received syncing request; o receive a set of resource details associated with a list of servers on which at least one network function of the one or more network functions are executing; a retrieving unit [304] of the system to retrieve a set of current resource details associated with the list of servers from a Docker swarm adaptor (DSA) unit; a comparator unit [306] of the system to compare the received set of resource details and the retrieved set of current resource details to determine presence of a deviation therebetween; and a processing unit [308] of the system to sync the set of current resource details in the PVIM unit in response to presence of the deviation.

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