Decentralized Trust System for Multi-Provider Virtual Network Orchestration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current service models in the telecommunications industry face challenges in providing agile and flexible orchestration for multi-provider services due to complex interactions across multiple vertical management layers, leading to slow and inflexible resource integration across different service providers.

Innovation Solution

A decentralized trust system, utilizing Blockchain technology, enables direct interactions between Lifecycle Management (LCM) components by using local tags to represent services and enabling smart contracts for consensus-based negotiations, allowing for efficient and flexible resource allocation and orchestration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional multi-layered orchestration mechanisms are used between service providers, then service coordination can be achieved, but the orchestration process becomes slow and inflexible due to complex interactions across multiple vertical management layers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveorchestration speedVSAvoidorchestration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a decentralized trust system acting as an intermediary layer between LCM components of different service providers. This trust system enables direct peer-to-peer interactions while maintaining security and coordination, eliminating the need for complex multi-layered orchestration mechanisms and significantly accelerating the orchestration process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

LCM components are empowered to autonomously negotiate and execute service orchestrations through smart contracts on the decentralized trust system. This self-service capability eliminates dependency on external orchestration layers, allowing LCM components to independently coordinate resource allocation and service delivery across provider boundaries

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If detailed descriptions of local services are shared across all service providers, then service compatibility is improved, but information overload and processing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice compatibilityVSAvoidinformation processing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The service description information is segmented into two levels: local tags with essential service characteristics for broad compatibility, and detailed descriptions available on-demand for specific interactions. This segmentation allows LCM components to efficiently filter and match services using local tags while accessing detailed information only when necessary, reducing information overload

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements partial information sharing by using local tags that contain sufficient information for initial service matching and compatibility verification. Full detailed descriptions are only retrieved when actually needed for specific service interactions, avoiding the excessive action of sharing all information universally and improving processing efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3776199B1Methods and apparatus for multi-provider virtual network services
Publication Date: 2023.07.05 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3776199B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3776199B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3776199B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods and apparatus for providing multi-provider services in a virtualised network. The method in a first lifecycle management, LCM component, in a virtual network; wherein the virtual network comprises trusted provider configured to provide a decentralised trust system between a plurality of LCM components controlled by different service providers in the virtual network. The method comprises storing a detailed description of one or more local services that the first service provider is capable of providing; generating a local tag representative of the one or more local services, wherein the local tag comprises less detail about the one or more local services than the detailed description; and enrolling with the decentralised trust system using the local tag.