Hybrid Cloud Inventory Orchestration for NFV Scalability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) platform faces challenges in scaling to support the deployment of virtual network functions (VNFs) across thousands or tens of thousands of sites, particularly in meeting the speed and latency requirements of 5G networks.
Innovation Solution
A distributed orchestration framework is implemented, allowing VNFs to be deployed across a hybrid cloud infrastructure with a central orchestrator managing inventory and resource placement across different cloud computing environments, enabling efficient deployment and management of VNFs across a vast number of sites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a centralized NFV platform is used to manage VNF deployments, then deployment control and coordination are improved, but scalability to support thousands of sites deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized NFV platform into distributed regional NFV platforms and edge NFV platforms. Each regional platform manages a specific geographic region with multiple edge sites, breaking down the monolithic centralized structure into hierarchical segments that can scale independently. This allows the system to support thousands of sites by adding more regional platforms rather than overloading a single centralized platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the NFV platform architecture, creating multiple levels (centralized, regional, and edge) rather than a single flat level. This dimensional change enables the system to manage large numbers of sites by distributing control across the hierarchy, where regional platforms handle local coordination and edge platforms execute deployments, thus scaling the system capacity.
2Speed
If VNFs are deployed across thousands of sites to meet 5G speed and latency requirements, then network performance is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by enabling each edge NFV platform to autonomously manage VNF deployments for its local edge sites, with regional platforms providing coordinated oversight. This localized decision-making reduces the complexity burden on any single component, as each platform only needs to manage its local context rather than global state, while still achieving the speed and latency performance of widespread deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces regional NFV platforms as intermediaries between the centralized management system and edge NFV platforms. These intermediary platforms handle the complexity of coordinating deployments across multiple edge sites within a region, shielding the centralized system from direct complexity while enabling scaled deployment. The intermediaries aggregate and coordinate local decisions, reducing overall system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If hybrid cloud infrastructure with multiple cloud computing environments is used, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but inventory management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a unified NFV platform architecture that can manage multiple types of cloud computing environments (public cloud, private cloud, edge cloud) through a common interface and management framework. The platform is designed to be multi-functional, handling inventory management, deployment orchestration, and resource allocation across diverse cloud environments using standardized processes, thus reducing management complexity despite environment diversity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by replicating the NFV platform architecture across different regions and cloud environments. Each regional NFV platform is a copy of the base architecture, adapted to its specific cloud environment, which allows standardized inventory management practices to be replicated across diverse environments. This copying approach maintains consistency and reduces complexity by applying the same management patterns universally.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of collecting and reporting inventory of resources deployed in a data center that includes hardware resources, a virtualization management software executed to provision virtual resources from the hardware resources, and a cloud management server executed to provision the virtual resources for tenants of the data center, includes the steps of: executing a first API call to the virtualization management software to collect first inventory of virtual resources deployed in the data center and a second API call to the cloud computing management software to collect second inventory of virtual resources deployed in the data center; storing the first and second inventory; and in response to an inventory request from a central orchestrator, initially sending a subset of the stored first and second inventory to the central orchestrator in accordance with parameters included in the inventory request, and thereafter sending updates to the subset to the central orchestrator periodically.