Network Service Configuration Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing management apparatus for network services requires significant manual handling and intervention by operators for maintenance and operation, leading to increased costs and inefficiencies, especially in large-scale network environments.
Innovation Solution
An operation apparatus that automates the determination of optimal network service configurations, detects abnormalities, and updates network configurations, reducing the need for manual intervention by storing configuration information, using AI units for analysis, and generating change orders for management apparatuses to adjust network settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual handling is used for determination of control necessity and control target, then operator control and decision-making are maintained, but maintenance/operation cost significantly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the management apparatus automatically determines control necessity and identifies control targets without operator intervention. The determination unit and control target identification unit autonomously analyze network service states and device information to make decisions, eliminating manual handling while maintaining system controllability through automated workflows.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual operation system with an automated information processing system. The determination unit uses algorithms and data analysis to substitute human decision-making processes, transforming manual control into automated electronic determination based on network service catalogs, device information, and state data.
2Extent of automation
If automated determination of optimal configuration is implemented, then maintenance burden is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management apparatus integrates multiple functions into a unified system: the determination unit handles both control necessity assessment and control target identification; the optimal configuration determination unit combines configuration analysis with change order generation. This multi-functional integration reduces overall system complexity despite increased automation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary management apparatus that acts as a mediator between the network service catalog and the actual network devices. This intermediary processes information, determines optimal configurations, and generates control orders, simplifying the overall system architecture by centralizing complex determination logic in a dedicated intermediary component.
3Productivity
If closed-loop control is implemented for network service management, then operational efficiency is improved, but monitoring and control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the determination unit continuously monitors network service states and device information, compares actual performance with optimal configurations from the catalog, and automatically generates control orders to maintain optimal states. This closed-loop feedback process improves operational efficiency by enabling real-time adaptive control without requiring complex manual monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
An operation apparatus for outputting a request to a management apparatus which manages a Network Service (NS) constructed on a NetWork (NW) including a core NW serving as a virtualization area and an access NW serving as a non-virtualization area including: a storage unit configured to store new configuration information obtained by updating NW configuration information indicating an NW configuration including devices disposed on the NW due to a fault of the NS, a catalog which is a template of the NS, a record describing a lifecycle of the NS, and an order for requesting the management apparatus to control the NS; an optimal configuration determination unit configured to determine an optimal configuration of the NS based on the new configuration information, the catalog, the record, and the order; and an order generation unit configured to generate a change order for changing an NS configuration of the NS to the optimal configuration determined by the optimal configuration determination unit.