Mobile NFVI-PoP Discovery for Seamless Network Slice Handover
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current NFV-MANO systems face challenges in ensuring seamless coordination and service continuity when a mobile NFVI-PoP changes location, leading to dynamic switching among multiple provider MANO systems, which affects the integrity and quality of end-to-end network services.
Innovation Solution
A computer-based method and system that operates a user-domain MANO (u-MANO) to discover and collaborate with provider MANO (p-MANO) systems, ensuring seamless reconnection and reconfiguration of network services across multiple domains, while maintaining quality of service by negotiating with different providers if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If NFV-MANO systems are deployed at fixed locations (core/edge datacenters), then service delivery and resource management are simplified, but mobility scenarios and dynamic location changes cannot be supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile NFVI-PoP that can dynamically change location, transforming the static NFV-MANO architecture into a dynamic system. The mobile NFVI-PoP includes a discovery component that automatically detects and connects to appropriate fixed NFVI-PoPs based on current location, enabling both ease of operation at fixed points and adaptability to mobility scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile NFVI-PoP acts as an intermediary between end users and fixed NFVI-PoPs. It discovers available fixed NFVI-PoPs, establishes connections, and manages the handover between different fixed locations, thereby supporting mobility while maintaining the operational simplicity of fixed infrastructure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If each tenant has its own MANO stack (tenant-MANO) under central MANO control, then management autonomy is provided, but coordination complexity increases when handover between provider MANO systems is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tenant-MANO autonomy with the mobile NFVI-PoP discovery functionality. The mobile NFVI-PoP consolidates the coordination function for multiple tenant-MANO stacks, automatically discovering and managing connections with provider MANO systems. This reduces coordination complexity while preserving tenant management autonomy through the federated architecture.
3Reliability
If manual configuration and reconfiguration of network services is performed during mobility, then service integrity can be maintained, but service continuity and seamless handover are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile NFVI-PoP performs preliminary discovery actions by proactively scanning for and identifying available fixed NFVI-PoPs before handover is needed. It maintains a ready list of potential target locations, so when mobility occurs, the system can immediately establish connections without manual configuration, ensuring both service integrity and continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The discovery component implements continuous feedback by monitoring the availability and status of fixed NFVI-PoPs. This real-time information feedback enables the mobile NFVI-PoP to automatically adjust connections and reconfigure network services seamlessly during mobility, maintaining service integrity without interrupting continuity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating a u-MANO inside a user domain that ensures deployment and service integrity of end-to-end network services in collaboration with a p-MANO includes receiving a request for a network service instance; and initiating a discovery operation to discover the p-MANO if the request's scope is determined to extend beyond the user domain. The discovery operation includes: determining an identity and/or an address of the p-MANO; sending a solicitation message to the p-MANO to discover its reachability and availability; sending a service request specifying network service requirements to the p-MANO in response to receiving a solicitation response from the p-MANO; and receiving a service acceptance from the p-MANO. The method further includes instantiating and deploying the network service instance that is at least partially within the user domain and partially outside the user domain.