System and method for managing vendor specific services in a wireless communication network

Abstract

Disclosed are system and method for managing vendor specific services in a wireless communication network. To execute a vendor specific service, a Self-5 Optimizing Network (SON) engine (206) sends request data to a service management layer (208). The service management layer (208) creates a workorder comprising details of the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors (202) associated with the vendor specific service and generates a workorder identifier. Further, the service management layer (208) sends the request data to the one or 10 more vendors (202) via a single proprietary interface (214). The single proprietary interface (214) translates EMS-specific data format across the one or more vendors (202). Furthermore, the service management layer (208) receives a response message from the one or more vendors (202) upon execution of the vendor specific service. Also, the service management layer (208) provides asynchronous execution 15 tracking using the workorder identifier.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING VENDOR SPECIFIC SERVICES IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of communication networks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for managing vendor specific services in a wireless 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 due to 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] In the realm of multi-vendor network, one or more vendors provide essential data and updates to network operators through their Element Management System(s) (EMS). Further, any change management request towards Radio Access Network (RAN) or KPI fetch request initiated by multi-vendor Self-Optimizing Network (multi-vendor SON) is performed by the EMS using different vendor specific interfaces.

[0004] Further, while integrating various vendor systems, fetching KPIs from the one or more vendors and managing change management request for the one or more vendors are complex tasks and involve tedious deployment processes.

[0005] Further, current available methods for managing change management request or fetching KPIs request requires altering of core operations at multi-vendor SON Side. Also, the current available methods require integration of multiple interfaces if new vendors are added at the multi-vendor SON Side. Further, currentavailable methods and systems require separate interfaces for each vendor, leading to increased operational overhead.

[0006] In light of the aforementioned challenges, there is a need for an improved system and method for managing vendor specific services in a wireless communication network.SUMMARY

[0007] The following embodiments present a simplified summary in order 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.

[0008] In an embodiment, a method for managing vendor specific services in a wireless communication network is disclosed. The method includes sending, by a Self-Optimizing Network (SON) engine to a service management layer, request data to execute a vendor specific service for one or more cells. The method further includes creating, by the service management layer based on the request data, a workorder comprising details of the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors associated with the vendor specific service and generating a workorder identifier. Further, the method includes sending, by the service management layer via a single proprietary interface based on the workorder identifier, the request data to the one or more vendors to execute the vendor specific service. Furthermore, the method includes receiving, by the service management layer, a response message from the one or more vendors upon execution of the vendor specific service.

[0009] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the single proprietary interface (214) is configured to translate vendor-specific data into EMS-specific data format across the one or more vendors 202.

[0010] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes identifying, by the SON engine, information of the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors on which the vendor specific service is to be called. Further, the method includes batching, by the SON engine, the vendor specific service request to create the request data.

[0011] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the vendor specific service includes one of a change management service at the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors or a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) fetch service from the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors.

[0012] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, for the change management service, the response message indicates a status of the execution of the change management service at the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors.

[0013] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes forwarding the response message to the SON engine.

[0014] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, for the KPI fetch service, the response message includes one or more KPIs from the one or more vendors, and the one or more KPIs includes cell related information associated with the one or more cells.

[0015] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes periodically pushing, by the service management layer, the one or more KPIs received from the one or more vendors into a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server. Further, the method includes pulling, by the multi-vendor SON, the one or more KPIs from the FTP server.

[0016] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the service management layer normalizes the one or more KPI into a unified KPI format prior to storage into the FTP server.

[0017] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the service management layer provides asynchronous execution tracking using the workorder identifier.

[0018] In another embodiment, a multi-vendor system for managing vendor specific services in a wireless communication network is disclosed. The system includes a Self-Optimizing Network (SON) engine and a service management layer connected to one or more vendors using a single proprietary interface. The SON engine is configured to send, to the service management layer, request data to execute a vendor specific service for one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors. The service management layer is configured to create, based on the request data, a workorder comprising details of the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors associated with the vendor specific service and generating a workorder identifier. Further, the service management layer is configured to send, via the single proprietary interface based on the workorder identifier, the request data to the one or more vendors to execute the vendor specific service. Furthermore, the service management layer is configured to receive a response message from the one or more vendors upon execution of the vendor specific service.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] 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 the purpose of consistency and ease of understanding, similar components and elements are annotated by reference numerals in the exemplary drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless communication network, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG.2 illustrates a block diagram of a system for managing vendor specific services in the wireless communication network, in accordance with the one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates a line diagram of a method for managing change management service in the wireless communication network, in accordance with the one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG.4 illustrates a line diagram of a method for managing Key Performance Indicator (KPI) fetch service in the wireless communication network, in accordance with the one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for managing vendor specific services in the wireless communication network, in accordance with the one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] 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.

[0026] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Thepresent 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.”

[0029] 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 can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features.

[0030] 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.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a system and a method for managing vendor specific services in a wireless communication network are disclosed.

[0034] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the system includes a single proprietary interface to execute any change request towards Radio Access Network (RAN) Nodes irrespective of vendors. Any Optimization operation may run independently at a multi-vendor Self-Optimizing Network (multi-vendor SON) side and may use the single proprietary interface to execute any change request or fetch Key Performance Indicator (KPI) request for any vendor using the single proprietary interface.

[0035] The term ‘Vendor’ in the entire disclosure may refer to original equipment manufacturer for base stations. Each vendor may have its own element management system (EMS) to manage its own set of base stations (RAN nodes). Also, all different EMSs belonging to different vendors may collect data from their respective base stations and send the data to a server.

[0036] The term “multi-vendor Self-Organizing Network (SON)” may refer to networks that uses automation and intelligent algorithms to configure, optimize, and heal the network while supporting and integrating equipment and software from different vendors.

[0037] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, 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.

[0038] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless communication network 100, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the wireless communication network 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the wireless communication network 100 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0039] The wireless communication network 100 may include various components such as one or more Base Stations (BSs) 102, a multi-vendor Self-Optimizing Network 104 (multi-vendor SON 104), an application server 106, a network 108, processing modules 110, and a database 112.

[0040] The one or more BSs 102 serves one or more user devices in a coverage region via the network 108. Each base station among the one or more BSs 102 mayhave same or similar configuration and may also be referred to as “BS 102”. It is to be noted that the “base station” may also be referred to as “cell”, “gNB”, or “node” interchangeably throughout this disclosure without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, the “base station” may also be referred to as “access point (AP)”, “evolved NodeB (eNodeB) (eNB)”, “5G node (5th generation node)”, “wireless point”, “transmission / reception point (TRP)”, “Radio Access Network (RAN)” or other terms having equivalent technical meanings.

[0041] The multi-vendor SON 104 includes multi-vendor network and one or more management layers. The multi-vendor SON 104 may refer to a network architecture comprising a plurality of network equipment and devices associated with different vendors to fulfil diverse operational and technological requirements. For instance, a telecommunication service provider may deploy a plurality of routers corresponding to a first vendor, switches corresponding to a second vendor, and access points corresponding to a third vendor within its network architecture. The vendor in the multi-vendor network may correspond to service providers who are responsible for fulfilling operational and technological requirements and may host services including but not limited thereto, invoicing, streamlining a company’s wireless services, and providing seamless internet access. The multi-vendor network may communicate with one or more vendors via a single uniform interface (or single proprietary interface).

[0042] The application server 106 communicates with various other entities of the wireless communication network 100 (such as a base station, a core network, the multi-vendor SON 104, and an external user device) via the network 108. The application server 106 may be a physical machine, a virtual machine in a cloud environment a network of computers, a software framework, or a combination thereof, that may provide a generalized approach to create a server implementation. Examples of the application server 106 may include, but are not limited to, personal computers, laptops, mini -computers, mainframe computers, any non-transient and tangible machine that can execute a machine-readable code, cloud-based servers, distributed server networks, or a network of computer systems. The applicationserver 106 may be realized through various web-based technologies such as, but not limited to, a Java web-framework, a .NET framework, a personal home page (PHP) framework, or any web-application framework.

[0043] Further, the network 108 may include a proprietary Internet Protocol (IP) network, Internet, or other data network. In some embodiments, the at least one BS may communicate with each other and with the at least one UE using a communication technique, such as a 5th Generation 5G / New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), or other wireless communication techniques. The network 108 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and interfaces that may be configured to provide several network ports and several communication channels for transmission and reception of data related to operations of various entities of the wireless communication network 100.

[0044] The processing modules 110 may comprise a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU) for performing generation of a response of a system query. The CPU may also be referred to as processor. The processor may include one or more general purpose processors and / or one or more special purpose processors, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a microcontroller, a state machine, or any type of programmable logic array.

[0045] The database 112 may store data received from network components of the wireless communication network 100. For example, the database 112 may store KPI data collected from the one or more BSs 102.

[0046] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 200 for managing vendor specific services in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with the one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0047] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the system 200 includes the multi-vendor SON 104, the application server 106, one or more vendors 202 including a vendor A 202-1, avendor B 202-2, and a vendor N 202-N, and one or more EMS 204 corresponding to the one or more vendors 202. The one or more EMS 204 may include an EMS A 204-1 corresponding to the vendor A 202-1, an EMS B 204-2 corresponding to the vendor B 202-2, and an EMS N 204-N corresponding to the vendor N 202-N. In an embodiment, the multi-vendor SON 104 may be integrated within the application server 106.

[0048] The one or more vendors 202 offer a wide range of products and solutions designed to support various network functions, including connectivity, performance management, security, and network automation. The one or more vendors 202 may be, but not limited to, a network hardware provider, a software provider, a telecommunication provider, a network service provider, or a network solution provider.

[0049] The multi-vendor SON 104 includes a SON engine 206, a service management layer 208, and a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server 210. The service management layer 208 may include a vendor abstraction module 212 and a proprietary interface 214. The multi-vendor SON 104 may refer to networks that use automation and intelligent algorithms to configure, optimize, and heal the network while supporting and integrating equipment and software from different vendors. The service management layer 208 performs one or more functions including change management service or KPI management service. The FTP server 210 may receive one or more KPIs from the one or more vendors 202 during KPI management.

[0050] The vendor abstraction module 212 creates a workorder for vendor specific service requests. The service management layer 208 implements a proprietary interface 214 that translates the vendor specific service requests into EMS-specific commands across multiple vendors. For instance, the proprietary interface 214 translates vendor-specific data into EMS-specific data format across the one or more vendors 202. The proprietary interface 214 is a vendor-agnostic API layer configured to mediate between upstream systems and multiple vendor systems by translating vendor specific service requests into vendor-specific command formats.

[0051] The application server 106 includes an Input / Output Interface 216, a processor 218, and a memory 220. The processor 218 may include various processing circuitry and communicates with the memory 220 and the I / O interface 216 via a communication bus. Processor 218 is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 220 and to perform various processes to control operations of one or more modules of the multi-vendor SON 104. The processor 218 may include one or a plurality of processors, including 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 a graphics processing unit (GPU) or the like, a programmable logic device, or any combination thereof.

[0052] The memory 220 stores the set of instructions required by processor 218 of the server 106 for controlling operations of the one or more modules of the multivendor SON 104. The memory 220 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 220 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 220 is non-movable. The memory 220 may be an internal storage unit or an external storage unit of the server 106, cloud storage, or any other type of external storage. In certain examples, the memory 220 configured as the non-transitory storage medium may include hard drives, solid-state drives, flash drives, Compact Disk (CD), Digital Video Disk (DVD), and the like. Further, the memory 220 may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] The I / O interface 216 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 application server 106. For example, the I / O interface 216 may have an input interface and an output interface. The input interface may be configured to enable a user to provide input(s) to trigger (or configure) an optimization algorithm at the SON engine 206. 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. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the input interface including known, related art, and / or later developed technologies without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. The output interface is configured to control a display of response message indicating completion of the one or more vendor specific services. Examples of the output interface of the I / O interface 216 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.

[0054] The embodiment of the system 200 as shown in FIG. 2 is for illustration only. However, the system 200 may come in a wide variety of configurations, and FIG. 2 does not limit the scope of the present disclosure to any particular implementation of the system 200.

[0055] In one or more embodiments, processor 218, using the SON engine 206, performs one or more optimization algorithms / operations to identify information of the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors 202 on which a vendor specific service is to be called. The vendor-specific services are network or operational services for a particular vendor. The vendor-specific services are implemented using proprietary interfaces, commands, or algorithms and are tightly coupled to specific vendors in a multi-vendor telecom network. Here, the vendorspecific services include any network configuration, performance management, or KPI collection action requiring vendor-specific commands or protocols.

[0056] Further, processor 218, using the SON engine 206, performs batching of the vendor specific service request to create request data. In batching, different vendor specific service requests are collected over a period of time and processed togetherin one operation rather than individual. The batching reduces network overhead, improves network performance, and optimizes resource usage.

[0057] Thereafter, processor 218 sends request data from the SON engine 206 to service management layer 208 to execute the vendor specific service for one or more cells. Further, processor 218, using the vendor abstraction module 212 of the service management layer 208, creates the workorder comprising details of the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors 202 associated with the vendor specific service and generating a workorder identifier. The workorder is created by the service management layer 208 using the vendor abstraction module 212. The workorder encapsulates execution details of the vendor specific service, required parameters, vendor-specific execution instructions, and other information required for execution of the vendor specific service for the one or more vendors 202. The workorder is identified by a unique workorder identifier for monitoring and control of execution of the vendor specific service. The workorder serves as the execution command through which vendor-specific services are triggered, tracked, and managed. Further, the generation of the workorder identifier enables asynchronous execution tracking of the vendor specific service, allowing the service management layer 208 to track progress, completion, or failure without requiring real-time responses from one or more vendors 202. By encapsulating vendor-specific execution details within the workorder, the service management layer 208 translates, using the vendor-agnostic API layer, vendor-specific data into EMS-specific data format across the one or more vendors 202.

[0058] Further, processor 218, using the single proprietary interface 214, sends the request data to the one or more vendors 202 based on the workorder for execution of the vendor specific service at the one or more vendors 202.

[0059] Further, the processor 218, using the single proprietary interface 214, controls reception of a response message from the one or more vendors 202 upon execution of the vendor specific service. The response message indicates a status of the execution of the vendor specific service at the one or more cells connected tothe one or more vendors 202. Thereafter, the processor 218 may also forward the response message from the service management layer 208 to the SON engine 206.

[0060] In a non-limiting example, the vendor specific service may include a change management service at the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors 202 or a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) fetch service from the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors 202. The change management service may include configuration changes on network elements (NEs), parameter tuning, a feature activation / deactivation, a script execution and validation, or other vendor specific management services. The KPI fetch service includes one or more services for collecting performance counters or KPIs (for example, throughput, latency, drop rate, availability). Line diagrams showing methods for performing the change management service and the KPI fetch service are described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0061] FIG. 3 illustrates a line diagram of a method 300 for managing the change management service in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with the one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The method includes a series of steps from step 1 to step 9.

[0062] In an embodiment, the change management service may cater to different vendor requirements independently without requiring any change at a multi-vendor SON 104 Side. Operations for optimization like Physical Cell Identity (PCI) optimization, energy saving, sleeping cell detection may run independently without any need to specifically handle each vendor interface for any change management request.

[0063] At step 1, the one or more optimization operations run on the multi-vendor SON 104 side. After optimization one or more nodes are collected / identified on which a request for change management service is to be called. Further, the batching of the request is performed as per pre-defined configuration, and the request data is created accordingly.

[0064] At step 2, the SON engine 206 sends the request for the change management service towards the service management layer 208. Further, at the service management layer 208, a workorder is created which has input details of all nodes on which the requests are to be executed and a workorder identifier is created.

[0065] At step 3, the service management layer 208 sends, using the single proprietary interface 214, the request for the change management service towards vendor- A 202-1 among the one or more vendors 202.

[0066] At step 4, the service management layer 208 receives, using the single proprietary interface 214, a callback / response message from the vendor-A 202-1. The callback indicates status of execution of the change management service at the one or more cells connected to the vendor-A 202-1.

[0067] At step 5, the service management layer 208 forwards the callback / response message to the SON engine 206. In one or more embodiments, the SON engine 206 may ask for status of the change management service using the workorder identifier.

[0068] Further, steps 6 to 9 are the steps similar to steps 2 to 5 for executing the request for the change management service towards vendor-B 202-2 among the one or more vendors 202. Further, steps 6 to 9 may be performed in parallel to steps 2 to 5.

[0069] FIG.4 illustrates a line diagram of a method 400 for managing the KPI fetch service in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with the one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The method includes a series of steps from step 1 to step 5.

[0070] In an embodiment, the KPI fetch service may also cater to different vendor requirements independently without requiring any change at the multi-vendor SON 104 side. The KPI fetch service may run independently without any need to specifically handle each vendor interface. For executing the KPI fetch service, the SON engine 206 sends the request for the KPI fetch service towards the service management layer 208. The one or more KPIs are required by the SON engine 206for checking current cell related details such as UE Connected or RRC Users. The service management layer 208 sends the request for the KPI fetch service towards the one or more vendors 202 using the single proprietary interface 214.

[0071] Thereafter, at steps 1 and 2, the one or more vendors (for example, the vendor-A 202- 1 and vendor-B 202-2) push the one or more KPIs towards the service management layer 208 using the single proprietary interface 214.

[0072] At step 3, the service management layer 208 pushes the one or more KPIs received from the one or more vendors 202 into the FTP server 210 at regular interval.

[0073] At steps 4 and 5, the SON engine 206 may pull the one or more KPIs from the FTP server 210.

[0074] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 500 for managing the vendor specific services in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with the one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The method includes a series of steps indicated by blocks 502 to 514.

[0075] At block 502, the SON engine 206, identifies information of the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors 202 on which the vendor specific service is to be called. The SON engine 206 may identify the information of the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors 202 based on the one or more optimization operations performed by the processor 218. The vendor specific service includes one of the change management service at the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors 202or the KPI fetch service from the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors 202.

[0076] At block 504, the SON engine 206 performs batching of the vendor specific service request to create the request data.

[0077] At block 506, the SON engine 206 sends the request data to the service management layer 208 to execute the vendor specific service for one or more cells.

[0078] At block 508, the service management layer 208 creates the workorder comprising details of the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors 202 associated with the vendor specific service and generates the workorder identifier. The service management layer 208 creates the workorder based on the request data using vendor abstraction module 212. The vendor abstraction module 212 is configured to translate vendor-specific data into the EMS-specific data format across the one or more vendors 202. The workorder identifier enables asynchronous execution tracking of the vendor specific service.

[0079] At block 510, the service management layer 208, using the single proprietary interface 214, sends the request data to the one or more vendors 202 based on the workorder for execution of the vendor specific service at the one or more vendors 202.

[0080] At block 512, the service management layer 208, using the single proprietary interface 214, controls reception of a response message from the one or more vendors 202 upon execution of the vendor specific service. The response message indicates the status of the execution of the vendor specific service at the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors 202. For instance, for the change management service, the response message includes the callback from the one or more vendors 202. Further, the callback indicates execution of the change management service at the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors 202. Further, for the KPI fetch service, the response message includes the one or more KPIs from the one or more vendors 202, and the one or more KPIs includes cell related information associated with the one or more cells.

[0081] At block 514, the service management layer 208 forwards the response message from the service management layer 208 to the SON engine 206. For instance, for the change management service, forwarding the response message comprises forwarding the callback to the SON engine 206. Also, for the KPI fetch service, forwarding the response message comprises periodically pushing the one or more KPIs received from the one or more vendors 202 into the FTP server 210. Here, the service management layer 208 may normalize the one or more KPI into aunified KPI format prior to storage into the FTP server 210. Further, the SON engine 206 may pull the one or more KPIs from the FTP server 210.

[0082] Now, referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, operational advantages that may be provided by embodiments disclosed herein may include enabling seamless communication with various vendor systems using a uniform interface. The uniform interface reduces the complexity of integrating multiple interfaces and eliminates requirement for any change if new vendors are added at the multi-vendor SON Side. Further, the uniform interface ensures a consistent interaction model for interactions between the multivendor SON with different RAN nodes. Further, the disclosed method enhances flexibility in the multi-vendor SON networks as the change management service can adapt to different vendor-specific requirements without altering the core operations of the multi-vendor SON. Furthermore, the disclosed method facilitates batching of requests which provides flexibility to manage a number of change requests at a point of time. Further, the uniform interface enables faster KPI collection and normalization across multiple vendors. Further, batching the requests in a multi-vendor environment improves performance, scalability, and reliability by reducing integration overhead, optimizing EMS interactions, and enabling consistent, vendor-neutral transaction management across heterogeneous systems.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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 oneembodiment 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.

[0085] 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

[0086] The following list is provided for convenience and in support of the drawing figures and as part of the text of the specification, which describes innovations by reference 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 - Wireless communication network102 - Base Station104 - Multi-vendor SON106 - Application server108 - Network110 - Processing modules112 - Database200 - System for managing vendor specific services202 - One or more vendors202-1 / 202-2 / 202-N - Vendor A / Vendor B / Vendor N204 - One or more EMS204-1 / 204-2 / 204-N - EMS A / EMS B / EMS N206 - SON Engine208 - Service management layer210 - File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server212 - Vendor abstraction module214- Proprietary API216 - Input / Output Interface218 - Processor220 - Memory300 -Method for managing change management service400 - Method for managing Key Performance Indicator (KPI) fetch service 500 - Method for managing vendor specific services502-514 - Operational steps of the method 500

Claims

I / We Claim:

1. A method (500) for managing vendor specific services in a wireless communication network, the method (500) comprising:sending (506), by a Self-Optimizing Network (SON) engine (206) to a service management layer (208), request data to execute a vendor specific service for one or more cells;creating (508), by the service management layer (208) based on the request data, a workorder comprising details of the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors (202) associated with the vendor specific service and generating a workorder identifier;sending (510), by the service management layer (208) via a single proprietary interface (214) based on the workorder identifier, the request data to the one or more vendors (202) to execute the vendor specific service; and receiving (512), by the service management layer (208) via a single proprietary interface (214), a response message from the one or more vendors (202) upon execution of the vendor specific service.

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the single proprietary interface (214) is configured to translate vendor-specific data into EMS-specific data format across the one or more vendors 202.

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:identifying (502), by the SON engine (206), information of the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors (202) on which the vendor specific service is to be called; andbatching (504), by the SON engine (206), the vendor specific service request to create the request data.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vendor specific service includes one of a change management service at the one or more cells connected tothe one or more vendors (202) or a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) fetch service from the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors (202).

5. The method (500) as claimed in claim 4, wherein, for the change management service, the response message indicates a status of the execution of the change management service at the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors (202).

6. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprises forwarding (514) the response message to the SON engine (206).

7. The method (500) as claimed in claim 4, wherein, for the KPI fetch service, the response message includes one or more KPIs from the one or more vendors (202), and the one or more KPIs includes cell related information associated with the one or more cells.

8. The method (500) as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:periodically pushing, by the service management layer (208), the one or more KPIs received from the one or more vendors (202) into a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server (210); andpulling, by the multi-vendor SON, the one or more KPIs from the FTP server (210).

9. The method (500) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the service management layer (208) normalizes the one or more KPI into a unified KPI format prior to storage into the FTP server (210).

10. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service management layer (208) provides asynchronous execution tracking using the workorder identifier.

11. A multi-vendor system (200) for managing vendor specific services in a wireless communication network (100), the system (200) comprising:a Self-Optimizing Network (SON) engine (206) and a service management layer (208) connected to one or more vendors (202) using a single proprietary interface (214), whereinthe SON engine (206) is configured to send, to the service management layer (208), request data to execute a vendor specific service for one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors (202), and the service management layer (208) is configured to:create, based on the request data, a workorder comprising details of the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors (202) associated with the vendor specific service and generating a workorder identifier;send, via the single proprietary interface (214) based on the workorder identifier, the request data to the one or more vendors (202) to execute the vendor specific service; andreceive, via the single proprietary interface (214), a response message from the one or more vendors (202) upon execution of the vendor specific service.

12. The system (200) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the single proprietary interface (214) is configured to translate vendor-specific data into EMS-specific data format across the one or more vendors 202.

13. The system (200) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the SON engine (206) is further configured to:identify information of the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors (202) on which the vendor specific service is to be called; and perform batching of the vendor specific service request to create the request data.

14. The system (200) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the vendor specific service includes one of a change management service at the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors (202) or a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) fetch service from the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors (202).

15. The system (200) as claimed in claim 14, wherein, for the change management service, the response message indicates a status of the execution of the change management service at the one or more cells connected to the one or more vendors (202).

16. The system (200) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the service management layer (208) is further configured to forward the response message to the SON engine (206).

17. The system (200) as claimed in claim 14, wherein, for the KPI fetch service, the response message includes one or more KPIs from the one or more vendors (202), and the one or more KPIs includes cell related information associated with the one or more cells.

18. The system (200) as claimed in claim 17, whereinthe service management layer (208) is configured to periodically push the one or more KPIs received from the one or more vendors (202) into a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server (210), andthe multi-vendor SON is configured to pull the one or more KPIs from the FTP server (210).

19. The system (200) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the service management layer (208) normalizes the one or more KPI into a unified KPI format prior to storage into the FTP server (210).

20. The system (200) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the service management layer (208) is configured to provide asynchronous execution tracking using the workorder identifier.

21. 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 processor performs operations comprising:sending, by a Self-Optimizing Network (SON) engine (206) to a service management layer (208), request data to execute a vendor specific service for one or more cells;creating, by the service management layer (208) based on the request data, a workorder comprising details of the one or more cells connected to one or more vendors (202) associated with the vendor specific service and generating a workorder identifier;sending, by the service management layer (208) via a single proprietary interface (214) based on the workorder identifier, the request data to the one or more vendors (202) to execute the vendor specific service; andreceiving, by the service management layer (208) via a single proprietary interface (214), a response message from the one or more vendors (202) upon execution of the vendor specific service.

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