MEC Billing HAL Telemetry for Multi-Tenant Resource Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing billing and charging systems for Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) and IoT device networks face challenges in accurately tracking and billing for resource utilization across multiple tenants and roaming scenarios, due to the lack of fine-grained telemetry data and interoperability between different radio access standards.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) with enhanced telemetry functionality to track chargeable events at a subscription level, providing fine-grained resource utilization monitoring and cost estimation capabilities, and enabling negotiability between users and MEC servers through the Mx2 interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing billing and charging systems are used for MEC and IoT device networks, then system simplicity is maintained, but accurate tracking and billing for resource utilization across multiple tenants and roaming scenarios cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a HAL telemetry functionality as an intermediary layer between the existing billing system and the MEC resources. This intermediary collects fine-grained telemetry data from multiple sources (compute, storage, networking resources) and presents it in a standardized format, enabling accurate multi-tenant billing without requiring complete system redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The billing system is segmented into modular components: HAL telemetry collection, chargeable event identification, multi-tenant resource allocation tracking, and billing calculation. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific aspects of resource tracking independently, improving measurement precision while managing complexity through modularity
2Measurement precision
If fine-grained telemetry data collection is implemented, then billing accuracy for multiple tenants is improved, but data processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The HAL telemetry functionality performs preliminary data collection and aggregation at the edge, organizing fine-grained resource usage data into structured formats before transmission to billing systems. This preliminary processing reduces the burden on central billing systems and improves overall processing efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service billing capabilities where the HAL telemetry functionality automatically identifies chargeable events and calculates billing metrics without requiring manual intervention. This automation maintains high measurement precision while improving processing throughput
3Adaptability or versatility
If interoperability between different radio access standards is enabled, then roaming scenario support is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The HAL telemetry functionality is designed with universal interfaces that can collect and standardize resource usage data from multiple radio access standards (3GPP C-V2X, IEEE 802.11p DSRC, ETSI ITS-G5). This multi-functional design enables roaming scenario support without requiring separate billing systems for each standard
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements homogeneous data collection interfaces that normalize resource usage metrics from different radio access standards into a common format. This homogenization approach enables interoperability while managing complexity through standardization rather than custom integration for each standard
Data Source
AI summary
An architecture to allow Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) billing and charge tracking, is disclosed. In an example, a tracking process, such as is performed by an edge computing apparatus, includes: receiving a computational processing request for a service operated with computing resources of the edge computing apparatus from a connected edge device within the first access network, wherein the computational processing request includes an identification of the connected edge device; identifying a processing device, within the first access network, for performing the computational processing request; and storing the identification of the connected edge device, a processing device identification, and data describing the computational processes completed by the processing device in association with the computational processing request.