Declarative Network Function Lifecycle Orchestrator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions lack a seamless and automated method for deploying and managing network functions, including cloud-native and virtual network functions, across multiple cloud environments, particularly in hybrid setups, and require significant user intervention due to imperative API standards.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that transforms imperative requests into declarative requests for managing lifecycle operations of network functions, utilizing a central network function lifecycle orchestrator to automate deployment, scaling, upgrading, and maintenance across multiple cloud environments, thereby reducing manual intervention and supporting hybrid cloud deployments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If imperative requests are used to manage network functions, then user control and direct command execution are improved, but user intervention requirements and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer that translates imperative user requests into declarative specifications. This intermediary automatically converts direct commands into high-level intent descriptions, reducing the need for manual intervention while preserving user control. The system acts as a mediator between user intent and system execution, handling the complexity of translation automatically.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cloud-native network functions are deployed across multiple cloud environments, then flexibility and scalability are improved, but management complexity and orchestration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal declarative service that can manage network functions across multiple cloud environments through a single interface. This service is designed to be multi-functional, handling deployment, scaling, upgrading, and maintenance operations uniformly across different cloud platforms. The universal service abstracts away environment-specific complexities, allowing users to manage diverse cloud infrastructures through consistent declarative requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the complex management task into distinct lifecycle operations (deployment, scaling, upgrading, maintenance) that can be independently specified and executed. Each operation is handled as a separate declarative request, allowing granular control and independent management of different aspects of network function lifecycles across multiple clouds.
3Productivity
If VNFs are upgraded to CNFs, then elasticity and scalability are improved, but deployment time and operational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring network functions as containerized applications with standardized deployment templates. The declarative service pre-processes and validates deployment specifications before execution, preparing all necessary configurations and dependencies in advance. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces actual deployment time when scaling or upgrading network functions across cloud environments.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and computer-implemented method for managing lifecycles of network functions in multiple cloud environments uses declarative requests to execute lifecycle management operations for network functions running in the multiple cloud environments, which have been transformed from imperative requests to execute the lifecycle management operation at a declarative service. Execution of the lifecycle management operations at the multiple cloud environments are managed from a central network function lifecycle orchestrator based on the declarative requests.