System and method for deployment of network applications on target servers

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system (200) and a method (300) for deployment of network applications on one or more target servers in a communication network. The method comprises receiving, by a receiving engine via a User Interface (UI), an input that includes network node parameters for one or more network nodes and site parameters for one or more deployment sites. Each deployment site of the one or more deployment sites is associated with a corresponding target server of the one or more target servers. The method further comprises creating, by a procedure engine based on the network node parameters and the site parameters, an operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers and executing, by an execution engine, the operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEPLOYMENT OF NETWORK APPLICATIONS ON TARGET SERVERSTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of network operations. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for deployment of network applications on one or more target servers in a communication network.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The subject matter disclosed in the background section should not be assumed or construed to be prior art merely because of its mention in the background section. Similarly, any problem statement mentioned in the background section or its association with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed or construed to have been previously recognized in the prior art.

[0003] A rapid expansion of 5thGeneration (5G) networks is transforming industries, enabling faster data speeds, lower latency, and a broader range of connected devices. As businesses and consumers increasingly rely on 5G network for seamless communication and advanced applications like Internet of Things (loT) and autonomous vehicles, a demand for reliable and scalable network infrastructure is increasing. To this end, network operators must continuously optimize the network infrastructure to meet performance expectations.

[0004] As an adoption of 5G technology accelerates globally, the network operators are facing a challenge of updating and upgrading complex network applications that power 5G network nodes. Critical components of 5G infrastructure such as the 5G network nodes, require regular updates to ensure an efficient and secure operation which is in line with evolving standards.

[0005] Existing approaches for deploying and upgrading 5G network node applications are labor-intensive and require network administrators to manually loginto each target server, copy necessary files, and execute a deployment or an upgradation. Thus, the existing approaches not only consumes significant time and resources but also increases a potential for human error, leading to inconsistencies and potential service disruptions.

[0006] To address these challenges, various automation tools and platforms for the deployment of the network applications have been utilized. However, many existing approaches still require extensive manual intervention, particularly when it comes to managing repository details, deploying software across multiple sites, and ensuring a correct configuration of each 5G network node. This manual intervention become increasingly difficult as networks scale, particularly in environments with many network nodes distributed across different geographical locations. Furthermore, a need for precise configuration and execution increases a risk of errors, which leads to costly downtime and impact performance of the network.

[0007] Thus, there lies a clear need for an automated mechanism for the deployment of the network applications, to overcome aforementioned challenges.SUMMARY

[0008] The following embodiments present a simplified summary to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed invention. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key / critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0009] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, disclosed herein is a method for deployment of network applications on one or more target servers in a communication network. The method comprises receiving, by a receiving engine via a User Interface (UI), an input that includes network node parameters for one or more network nodes and site parameters for one or more deployment sites. Each deployment site of the one or more deployment sites is associated with a corresponding target server of the one or more target servers. The method furthercomprises creating, by a procedure engine based on the network node parameters and the site parameters, an operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers and executing, by an execution engine, the operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers.

[0010] In one or more implementations, the created operating procedure is executed as a single integrated setup package including a plurality of application set up files for the deployment.

[0011] In one or more implementations, the network node parameters comprise a type of the one or more network nodes, network node identifiers, and a plurality of hardware resources required for the deployment of the network applications.

[0012] In one or more implementations, the site parameters comprise one or more of a geographical location information of the one or more deployment sites, network capacity associated with each deployment site and the corresponding target server associated with each deployment site.

[0013] In one or more implementations, the creating the operating procedure further comprises specifying, by the procedure engine, details of a repository to access a plurality of application set up files required for the deployment of the network applications. The details include one or more of a repository Uniform Resource Locator (URL), authentication credentials of a user to access the repository, a folder structure within the repository, file types associated with the plurality of application set up files, and a destination path to transfer the plurality of application set up files to the one or more target servers.

[0014] In one or more implementations, the executing the operating procedure comprises authenticating, by the execution engine using the authentication credentials, the user to access the plurality of application set up files from the repository and transferring, by the execution engine upon the authentication, the plurality of application set up files from the repository to the one or more targetservers. The executing the operating procedure further comprises unarchiving and installing, by the execution engine, the plurality of application set up files on the one or more target servers and copying, by the execution engine, the installed plurality of application setup files to corresponding directories on the one or more target servers for the deployment of the network applications.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a system for deployment of network applications on one or more target servers in a communication network is described. The system comprises a receiving engine, a procedure engine and an execution engine. The receiving engine is configured to receive, via a User Interface (UI), an input that includes network node parameters for one or more network nodes and site parameters for one or more deployment sites. Each deployment site of the one or more deployment sites is associated with a corresponding target server of the one or more target servers. The procedure engine is configured to create, based on the network node parameters and the site parameters, an operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers. The execution engine is configured to execute the operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] Various embodiments disclosed herein will become better understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the present disclosure and illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts. Further, components and elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. For consistency and ease of understanding, similar components and elements are annotated by reference numerals in the exemplary drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram depicting an architecture of a Network Operations Platform Server (NOPS), in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram depicting a system for deployment of network applications on target servers in a communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method for the deployment of the network applications on the target servers in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic block diagram depicting a computing system for the deployment of the network applications on the target servers in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Inventive concepts of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of one or more embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the one or more embodiments disclosed herein are provided to describe the inventive concept thoroughly and completely, and to fully convey the scope of each of the present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are not mutually exclusive concepts. Accordingly, one or more components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present or used in any other embodiment.

[0022] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examplesand are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0023] The following description contains specific information pertaining to embodiments in the present disclosure. The detailed description uses the phrases “in some embodiments” or “some implementations” which may each refer to one or more or all of the same or different embodiments or implementations. The term “some” as used herein is defined as “one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” In view of the same, the terms, for example, “in an embodiment” or “in an implementation” refers to one embodiment or one implementation and the term, for example, “in one or more embodiments” refers to “at least one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.” Further, the term, for example, “in one or more implementations” refers to “at least one implementation, or more than one implementation, or all implementations.

[0024] The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to;” it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion in the so-described one or more listed features, elements in a combination, unless otherwise stated with limiting language. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “have,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”

[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 specificdetails. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features.

[0026] The description provided herein discloses exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing any of the exemplary embodiments. Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it may be understood by one of the ordinary skilled in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.

[0027] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein the description, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural forms unless the context of the invention indicates otherwise.

[0028] The terminology and structure employed herein are for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and do not limit, restrict, or reduce the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and / or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.

[0029] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method for automating a deployment of network applications across multiple servers and deployment sites.

[0030] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method that minimize complexity and time involved in deploying the network applications by allowing operations to be executed with simple clicks through a user interface (UI), thus reducing a potential for human error.

[0031] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and a method that enable network operators to deploy a setup of the network applications across the multiple servers or the deployment sites from a single UI, ensuring scalability and efficient network management.

[0032] Described herein is the system and the method for automating the deployment of a 5thGeneration (5G) network node application setup using a Network Operations Platform (NOP). The NOP allows users to deploy, maintain, and upgrade the setup across the multiple servers and the deployment sites without requiring manual intervention.

[0033] A deployment process typically involves copying binary files, libraries, configuration files, and other critical components to the multiple servers, and requires manual login to the multiple servers for each step of the process. The NOP eliminates requirement of the manual login to the multiple servers by providing a web-based UI that simplifies configuration and execution, enabling the users to deploy the entire setup through a few clicks on the UI. The NOP also provides an ability to save repository details such as Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), authentication credentials, and target deployment paths for 5G network node setups, which may then be used to execute the deployment across the multiple servers simultaneously. Through the NOP, the network operators of 5G networks may achieve rapid and reliable network node setup and the upgrades with minimal manual effort, ensuring the efficient and scalable network operations.

[0034] Several key terms used in the description play pivotal roles in facilitating the system functionality. In order to facilitate an understanding of the description, the key terms are defined below.

[0035] The network application- The term network application may refer to an application configured to provide one or more functions in a communication network, including but not limited to the functions related to 5G node operation.

[0036] Target server- The term target server may refer to a computing server, either physical or virtual, on which the network application is to be deployed or upgraded. The target server hosts components of the network application at a specific deployment site.

[0037] The deployment site- The term deployment site may refer to a physical or logical location comprising one or more target servers designated for deployment of the network application.

[0038] Network Node- The term network node may refer to a functional element of the network application corresponding to a specific type of network function in a 5G architecture.

[0039] Repository- The term repository may refer to a storage location, accessible via the network, containing a plurality of application setup files required for the deployment of the network application.

[0040] The Application Setup Files- The term application setup files may refer to files required to install or upgrade the network application on the target server. These include executable binaries, the libraries, the configuration files, scripts, and supporting data files.

[0041] Operating Procedure- The term operating procedure may refer to a sequence of operations created based on node and deployment site parameters, specifying steps for deploying or upgrading the network application on the one or more target servers.

[0042] The UI- The term UI may refer to a web-based interface that allows the users to provide inputs, configure deployment parameters, create the operating procedure, and initiate execution for the deployment or upgrade operations.

[0043] Authentication credentials- The term authentication credentials may refer to data used to verify an identity of the user or the system accessing the repository, including username, password, tokens, or other security information.

[0044] Integrated setup package- The term integrated setup package may refer to a package created as part of the operating procedure that consolidates multiple application setup files for the deployment on the target servers.

[0045] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 - FIG. 4, discussed below, and the one or more embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0046] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram depicting an architecture of a Network Operations Platform Server (NOPS) 100 (hereinafter referred as a “server 100”), in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The NOP may be hosted on by the server 100.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1, the server 100 includes a processor 102, a memory 104, a communication interface 106, an Input / Output (VO) interface 108, and a Network Operations Platform (NOP) 110. Components of the server 100 are coupled to each other via a communication bus 100-2. The processor 102 interacts with each component for automating the deployment of the network applications.

[0048] The processor 102 may include various processing circuitry and communicate with the memory 104, and the communication interface 106 via the communication bus 100-2. The processor 102 is configured to execute instructions or a set of instructions stored in the memory 104 to perform various processes. In an implementation, the processor 102 may also include processing engines.

[0049] The processor 102 may include a general -purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), a dedicated processor, a Graphics-only Processing Unit such as aGraphics Processing Unit (GPU) or the like, a programmable logic device, or any combination thereof.

[0050] The memory 104 stores the set of instructions required by the processor 102 of the server 100 for controlling its overall operations. The memory 104 may include non-volatile storage elements. Examples of such non-volatile storage elements may include magnetic hard discs, optical discs, floppy discs, flash memories, or forms of Electrically Programmable Memories (EPROM) or Electrically Erasable and Programmable (EEPROM) memories. In addition, the memory 104 may, in some examples, be considered a non-transitory storage medium. The "non-transitory" storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or a propagated signal. However, the term "non-transitory" should not be interpreted as the memory 104 is nonmovable. In some examples, the memory 104 may be configured to store larger amounts of information. In certain examples, a non-transitory storage medium may store data that can, over time, change (e.g., in Random Access Memory (RAM) or cache). The memory 104 may be an internal storage unit or an external storage unit of the server 100, cloud storage, or any other type of external storage.

[0051] The communication interface 106 may include an electronic circuit specific to a standard that enables wired or wireless communication. The communication interface 106 is configured for communicating with external devices via networks.

[0052] The I / O interface 108 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or codes that may be configured to receive input(s) and present (or display) output(s) on the server 100. For example, the I / O interface 108 may have an input interface (not shown) and an output interface (not shown). The input interface may be configured to enable a user to provide input(s) to trigger (or configure) the server 100 for performing data processing operation(s). Examples of the input interface may include, but are not limited to, a touch interface, a mouse, a keyboard, a motion recognition unit, a gesture recognition unit, a voice recognition unit, or the like. The output interface may be configured to display (or present) output(s) generated (or provided) by the server 100. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the outputinterface may provide the output(s) based on an instruction provided by the user of the server 100, by way of the input interface. Examples of the output interface may include, but are not limited to, a digital display, an analog display, a touch screen display, an appearance of a desktop, and / or illuminated characters. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the input interface and output interface in the I / O interface 108, including known, related art, and / or later developed technologies without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] The NOP 110 is the platform that comprises a collection of processing engines 112 configured for the deployment of the network applications. These engines may interact with each other through defined interfaces and workflows to facilitate an efficient deployment of binary, library, configuration, and other essential files across multiple target servers without a need for the manual intervention.

[0054] The processing engines 112 include a receiving engine 114, a procedure engine 116 and an execution engine 118. The receiving engine may receive via the UI an input that includes network node parameters for one or more network nodes and site parameters for one or more deployment sites. Each deployment site of the one or more deployment sites is associated with a corresponding target server of the one or more target servers. The procedure engine 116 may create the operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers based on the network node parameters and the site parameters. The execution engine 118 may execute the operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers.

[0055] Although FIG. 1 illustrates one example of the server 100, various changes may be made to FIG. 1. Further, various components in FIG. 1 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components may be added according to particular needs.

[0056] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram depicting a system 200 for the deployment of the network applications on the target servers in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 2, the system 200 may include the NOP 110 comprising various entities such as a server manager 202, a repository manager 204, the processing engines 112. The system further includes a Network Operations Platform User Interface (NOP UI) 206 (hereinafter may also be referred as “the UI 206”), Identity and Access Management (IAM) 208, an Elastic Load Balancer 210, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (0AM) module 212, and a database 214.

[0058] The server manager 202 may receive the network node and site configuration details from the UI 206 and may manage configurations and prepares necessary information for the deployment process. The server manager 202 may ensure that the configurations related to the network nodes and the deployment sites are appropriately processed and forwarded to the processing engine 112. The server manager 202 may ensure that the network node and site details provided by the users through the UI 206 are correctly mapped to respective servers.

[0059] The repository manager 204 may manage the repository details such as a repository Uniform Resource Locator (URL), the authentication credentials, folder structure, file types, and destination paths uploaded via the UI 206 and retrieves necessary setup files, including the binaries, the libraries, and the configurations, from the repository specified by the user. The Repository Manager 204 may ensure that correct version of network application setup is downloaded, based on the repository URL and the credentials provided by the user.

[0060] The UI 206 may allow administrators or the users to interact with the system through a web browser. The users initiate the deployment process by logging into the UI 206. The UI 206 may allow the administrators or the users to input deployment configuration data. This includes the network node parameters and the site parameters. The UI 206 enables creation, editing, and execution of the operatingprocedure through simple user interactions. The UI 206 may further allow the administrators or the users to input the repository details through the UI 206 on the web browser. The entered repository details are saved in the database 214 associated with the NOP 110. The operating procedure is created by retrieving the saved repository details from the database 214 to access application setup files required for the deployment.

[0061] The IAM 208 may ensure secure access control within the NOP 110 and may manage user permissions and authentication processes, allowing the users to access specific features and data based on their roles and privileges.

[0062] The Elastic Load Balancer 210 may help to distribute incoming network traffic across the multiple servers or instances, ensuring balanced load and high availability.

[0063] In an embodiment, the execution engine 118 which is one of the processing engines 112 may interact with the server manager 202 and the repository manager 204 to execute the operating procedure. At step 112-1, the execution of the operating procedure involves the authentication at the repository which includes an authentication process using stored credentials (the repository URL, the username, and the password) to gain access to the repository. At step 114-2, the execution of the operating procedure further comprises the setup download which includes the downloading of network application setup files from the repository once the authentication is successful. A downloaded setup is often compressed or archived for efficient storage and transfer. At step 114-3, the execution of the operating procedure further comprises an unarchiving of the downloaded setup files on the target servers. Furthermore, at step 114-4, the execution of the operating procedure comprises copying the unarchived setup files to corresponding directories on the designated target servers as specified in the operating procedure.

[0064] Further, the 0AM 212 is connected to the NOP 110 and provides functionality for an operational and an administrative management of the network. Administrative tasks may include including routine monitoring, performancemanagement, fault detection, and troubleshooting. The 0AM 212 may monitor and maintain network performance and integrity. The 0AM 212 may communicate with the server 100 to keep track of the operational status of all the network nodes and provides an interface for the administrators to carry out maintenance activities.

[0065] The database 214 may store all the configuration details and an operational data related to the application setup and may include repository information, site configurations, network node configurations, and execution logs. The database 214 may support the server 100 in managing data and ensuring consistency across the system. The database 214 may ensure that the system may retrieve necessary details at any point, for either the deployment or the troubleshooting.

[0066] The NOP 110 may interface with several external entities within a 5G core network (CN). All the entities are a part of a core network infrastructure. The entities include: a Location Management Function (LMF) 216 configured to manage a location information of the 5G network nodes and the users. A Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 218 configured to manage location-based services and geographic information and facilitating an exchange of the location information between the network and external applications. A User Plane Function (UPF) 220 configured to handle user plane data traffic, ensuring efficient data flow and may ensure that data is routed correctly to and from user devices. A Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) 222 configured to provide security functions for the data exchanged between the 5G network nodes and other network entities. The SEPP 222 may manage secure communication between the network and external entities, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of signaling messages. A UE Capability Management Function (UCMF) 224 configured to manage user equipment capability information including session state and mobility. A Service Communication Proxy Function (SCPF) 226 configured to manage service communications and interactions across different network functions. A Policy Control Function (PCF) 228 configured to manage policies and rules for network management and service delivery. A Network Exposure Function (NEF) 230configured to provide secure exposure of network functions to external application functions, allowing authorized external entities to interact with network services.

[0067] The system 200 ensures a streamlined and automated approach to deploy and upgrade the network applications, reducing the manual intervention and enhancing an operational efficiency across the network.

[0068] Although FIG. 2 shows exemplary components of the system 200, in other implementations, the system 200 may include fewer components, different components, differently arranged components, or additional components than depicted in FIG. 2. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the system 200 may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of the system 200.

[0069] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method 300 for the deployment of the network applications on the target servers in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 300 begins with the user logging into the UI 206 for managing the deployment and the upgrade of the network applications.

[0070] At step 302, the receiving engine 114 may receive the input comprising the network node parameters for the network nodes, as well as the site parameters for the deployment sites. The input may be provided through the UI 206. The network node parameters may include, for example, identifiers of the network nodes, type of the one or more network nodes, a plurality of hardware resources required for the deployment of the network applications. The site parameters may include details such as geographical locations of the deployment sites, network capacity associated with each deployment site and the corresponding target server associated with each deployment site.

[0071] At step 304, the procedure engine 116 may create an operating procedure that defines actions required for deploying the network applications on the one or more target servers based on the network node parameters and the site parameters.The creation of the operating procedure may include specifying the details of the repository from which the application setup files are to be retrieved. In an implementation, the repository may be a remote server, cloud-based storage, or any other file storage mechanism that contains the necessary binaries, the libraries, and the configuration files for the 5G network node deployment. In one or more embodiments, these details may include the repository type, the repository URL and the authentication credentials required for accessing the repository. The operating procedure may also define the folder structure within the repository where the application setup files reside. In a non-limiting example, the folder structure is similar as “5g-core / UPF / v5.2.1 / or deployment_siteA / ”. Furthermore, the procedure engine 116 may specify file types associated with the plurality of application setup files. In a non-limiting example, the file types may include, but not limited to, tar.gz, .zip, or container images. Further, the destination path on the target server where the application setup files will be transferred and extracted. The procedure engine 116 may eliminate the need to separately download the binaries, the libraries, the configuration files, and other supporting files. Instead, the operating procedure comprises a single packaged setup file that contains all necessary application setup files required for the deployment of the network node applications. In a non-limiting example, instead of fetching binaries from bin / , libraries from lib / , and configurations from conf / directories individually, the operating procedure may point to a consolidated setup file which includes all the required setup files bundled together. In an embodiment, the procedure engine 116 may store the operating procedure in the database 214.

[0072] At step 306, the execution engine 118 may execute the operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers. The execution engine 118 may first establish a secure connection with the specified repository using the URL, authentication credentials, and method defined in the operating procedure. In a non-limiting example, if the repository URL is “https: / / repos.operator.com / 5g-core / nodes”, the execution engine 118 may perform the authentication using the authentication credentials provided in the operatingprocedure. Once authenticated, the execution engine 118 may navigate to the designated folder structure within the repository, and retrieve the specified setup file, for example, UPF-v5.2.1-setup.tar.gz.The execution engine 118 may transfer the setup file to the destination path on the target server as defined in the operating procedure, for example, / opt / 5g / nodes / UPF / . In an embodiment, the file transfer may be performed using a secure protocol. After the setup file is successfully transferred, the execution engine 118 may unarchive or extract the setup file at the destination location. Typically, the downloaded files are compressed to save bandwidth and storage space. The extracted content may include the binaries, the libraries, the configuration files, deployment scripts, and any supporting files required for the operation of the network application. The execution engine 118 may further execute one or more installation or configuration scripts included within the setup file and the installed plurality of application setup files are then copied to corresponding directories on the one or more target servers to complete the deployment process. In an embodiment, the execution of the operating procedure may be logged in detail by the execution engine 118. The logs may capture information including repository access, file transfers, extraction results, script execution outcomes, and any encountered errors or exceptions.

[0073] In one or more embodiments, the deployment of the network application is achieved without executing any playbooks or scripts on the target servers directly. Instead, a single playbook is executed on the server 100, which organizes the entire deployment process. In an implementation, a playbook function is integrated into the server 100 using an Application Programming Interface (API).

[0074] Thus, the method 300 ensures an efficient, and error-free deployment of the network applications across the multiple deployment sites and the target servers.

[0075] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a computing system 400 for the deployment of the network applications on the target servers in thecommunication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] The computing system 400 includes a network 402, a network interface 404, a processor 406 (similar in functionality to the processing engines 112 of FIG. 2), an Input / Output (I / O) interface 408 and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium 410 (hereinafter may also be referred to as the “storage medium 410” or the “storage media 410”).

[0077] The network interface 404 includes wireless network interfaces such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) or wired network interfaces such as Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-864 (IEEE-864).

[0078] The processor 406 may include various processing circuitry and communicate with the storage medium 410 and the VO interface 408. The processor 406 is configured to execute instructions stored in the storage medium 410 and to perform various processes. The processor 406 may include an intelligent hardware device including a general -purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, the CPU, the AP, the dedicated processor, or the like, the graphics-only processing unit such as the GPU, the microcontroller, the FPGA, the programmable logic device, the discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processor 406 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions 410-2 stored in the storage medium 410 to cause the server 130 to perform various functions.

[0079] The storage medium 410 stores a set of instructions i.e., computer program instructions 410-2 (hereinafter may also be referred to as instructions 410-2) required by the processor 406 for controlling its overall operations.

[0080] The storage media 410 may include an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, a quantum storage medium,or the like. For example, the storage media 410 may include, but are not limited to, hard drives, floppy diskettes, optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, solid-state memory devices, or other types of physical media suitable for storing electronic instructions. In one or more embodiments, the storage media 410 includes a Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), a Compact Disk-Read / Write (CD-R / W), and / or a Digital Video Disc (DVD).

[0081] In one or more implementations, the storage medium 410 stores computer program code configured to cause the computing system 400 to perform at least a portion of the processes and / or methods. Accordingly, in at least one implementation, the computing system 400 performs the method for the deployment of the network applications on the target servers in the communication network.

[0082] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to flowchart illustrations of methods and systems according to embodiments of the disclosure, and / or procedures, algorithms, steps, operations, formulae, or other computational depictions, which may also be implemented as computer program products. In this regard, each block or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks (and / or steps) in the flowchart, as well as any procedure, algorithm, step, operation, formula, or computational depiction can be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and / or software including one or more computer program instructions embodied in computer-readable program code. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be executed by one or more computer processors, including without limitation a general-purpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmable processing apparatus to perform a group of operations comprising the operations or blocks described in connection with the disclosed method.

[0083] Further, these computer program instructions, such as embodied in computer-readable program code, may also be stored in one or more computer- readable memory or memory devices (for example, the memory 104 or the storagemedium 410) that can direct a computer processor or other programmable processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions 410-2 stored in the computer-readable memory or memory devices produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s).

[0084] It will further be appreciated that the term “computer program instructions” as used herein refer to one or more instructions that can be executed by the one or more processors (for example, the processing engines 112 or the processor 406) to perform one or more functions as described herein. The instructions 410-2 may also be stored remotely such as on a server, or all or a portion of the instructions can be stored locally and remotely.

[0085] Now, referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, operational advantages that may be provided by one or more embodiments may include providing the fully automated system for deploying and upgrading the network applications, which significantly reduces the manual effort required and accelerates the deployment process.

[0086] Another noteworthy advantage provided by the one or more embodiments may include, but not limited thereto, by using the NOP, all aspects of the deployment and the upgradation process may be managed centrally, including the repository details, the server configurations, and the execution of the operating procedures. Further the system supports the deployment and the upgrade of the network applications across the multiple sites and the servers, making it highly scalable to accommodate large networks.

[0087] Further, by specifying the parameters such as the repository URL, the authentication credentials, the folder structures, and the file types, the deployment process is made adaptive and secure. Unlike traditional methods where each component must be fetched separately from different sources or repository locations, the present disclosure facilitates the download and deployment of aunified setup package. This not only simplifies the deployment workflow but also ensures consistency across deployments of similar network node types or versions.

[0088] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methodology described herein in the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth herein in the above disclosed embodiments without departing from essential characteristics and features of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0089] The drawings and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Any combination of the above features and functionalities may be used in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0090] In the present disclosure, each of the embodiments has been described with reference to numerous specific details which may vary from embodiment to embodiment. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments disclosed herein may reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and is not limited in scope.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0091] The following list is provided for convenience and in support of the drawing figures and as part of the text of the specification, which describe innovations byreference to multiple items. Items not listed here may nonetheless be part of a given embodiment. For better legibility of the text, a given reference number is recited near some, but not all, recitations of the referenced item in the text. The same reference number may be used with reference to different examples or different instances of a given item. The list of reference numerals is:100- Network Operations Platform Server (NOPS) / Server100-2 - Communication bus102-Processor104-Memory106- Communication interface108-Input / Output (I / O) interface110- Network Operations Platform (NOP)112- Processing engines114- Receiving engine116- Procedure engine118- Execution engine200- System202- Server manager204-Repository manager206- Network Operations Platform User Interface (NOP UI) / UI208- Identity and Access Management (IAM)210-Elastic load balancer212- Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (0AM)214- Database216- Location Management Function (LMF)218- Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC)220- User Plane Function (UPF)222- Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP)224- UE Capability Management Function (UCMF)226- Service Communication Proxy Function (SCPF)228- Policy Control Function (PCF)230- Network Exposure Function (NEF)300- Method for deployment of network applications on target server302- 306- Steps to perform method 300 400- Computing System402- Network404- Network Interface406- Processor408- I / O interface 410- Non transitory computer readable storage medium410-2- Instructions

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method (300) for deployment of network applications on one or more target servers in a communication network, the method comprising: receiving, by a receiving engine (114) via a User Interface (UI) (206), an input that includes network node parameters for one or more network nodes and site parameters for one or more deployment sites, wherein each deployment site of the one or more deployment sites is associated with a corresponding target server of the one or more target servers; creating, by a procedure engine (116) based on the network node parameters and the site parameters, an operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers; and executing, by an execution engine (118), the operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers.

2. The method (300) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the created operating procedure is executed as a single integrated setup package including a plurality of application set up files for the deployment.

3. The method (300) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network node parameters comprise a type of the one or more network nodes, network node identifiers, and a plurality of hardware resources required for the deployment of the network applications.

4. The method (300) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the site parameters comprise one or more of a geographical location information of the one or more deployment sites, network capacity associated with each deployment site and the corresponding target server associated with each deployment site.

5. The method (300) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the creating the operating procedure further comprises specifying, by the procedure engine (116), details of arepository to access a plurality of application set up files required for the deployment of the network applications, wherein the details include one or more of a repository Uniform Resource Locator (URL), authentication credentials of a user to access the repository, a folder structure within the repository, file types associated with the plurality of application set up files, and a destination path to transfer the plurality of application set up files to the one or more target servers.

6. The method (300) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the executing the operating procedure comprises: authenticating, by the execution engine (118) using the authentication credentials, the user to access the plurality of application set up files from the repository; transferring, by the execution engine (118) upon the authentication, the plurality of application set up files from the repository to the one or more target servers; unarchiving and installing, by the execution engine (118), the plurality of application set up files on the one or more target servers; and copying, by the execution engine (118), the installed plurality of application setup files to corresponding directories on the one or more target servers for the deployment of the network applications.

7. A system (200) for deployment of network applications on one or more target servers in a communication network, the system comprising: a receiving engine (114) configured to receive, via a User Interface (UI) (206), an input that includes network node parameters for one or more network nodes and site parameters for one or more deployment sites, wherein each deployment site of the one or more deployment sites is associated with a corresponding target server of the one or more target servers; a procedure engine (116) configured to create, based on the network node parameters and the site parameters, an operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers; andT1 an execution engine (118) configured to execute the operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers.

8. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the created operating procedure is executed, by the execution engine (118), as a single integrated setup package including a plurality of application set up files for the deployment.

9. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the network node parameters comprise a type of the one or more network nodes, network node identifiers and a plurality of hardware resources required for the deployment of the network applications.

10. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the site parameters comprise one or more of a geographical location information of the one or more deployment sites, network capacity associated with each deployment site and the corresponding target servers associated with each deployment site.

11. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein to create the operating procedure, the procedure engine (116) is further configured to specify details of a repository to access a plurality of application set up files required for the deployment of the network applications, wherein the details include one or more of a repository Uniform Resource Locator (URL), authentication credentials of a user to access the repository, a folder structure within the repository, file types associated with the plurality of application set up files, and a destination path to transfer the plurality of application set up files to the one or more target servers.

12. The system (200) as claimed in claim 11, wherein to execute the operating procedure, the execution engine (118) is configured to: authenticate, using the authentication credentials, the user to access the plurality of application set up files from the repository; transfer, upon the authentication, the plurality of application setup files from the repository to the one or more target servers;unarchive and install the plurality of application set up files on the one or more target servers; and copy the installed plurality of application setup files to corresponding directories on the one or more target servers for the deployment of the network applications.

13. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and that, when executed by at least one processing unit performs operations comprising: receiving, via a User Interface (UI) (206), an input that includes network node parameters for one or more network nodes and site parameters for one or more deployment sites, wherein each deployment site of the one or more deployment sites is associated with a corresponding target server of one or more target servers; creating, based on the network node parameters and the site parameters, an operating procedure to deploy network applications on the one or more target servers; and executing the operating procedure to deploy the network applications on the one or more target servers.

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