Network Slice Mapping Under NFV Management Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network slicing technologies fail to align the mapping of network slices to network service instances with the organization and capabilities of the target NFV management system, leading to undeployable designs due to mismatched resource management constraints.
Innovation Solution
An approach that considers management constraints and placement information during network slice design to align the mapping of network slice subnets with the target system's capabilities, ensuring deployability by grouping network functions into manageable units and mapping them to appropriate network service orchestrators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If network slices are mapped to network service instances without considering management constraints, then the design flexibility is improved, but the deployability deteriorates due to mismatched resource management constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by determining Network Slice Subnets (NwSSs) and their mapping to Network Services (NSs) during the design phase, before actual deployment. The system proactively considers management constraints and organizational capabilities of the target NFV management system in advance, creating a deployment-ready mapping that avoids later conflicts and rework.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the mapping relationship by introducing management constraints as a determining factor. Instead of arbitrary mapping, the system adjusts the mapping parameters based on the organizational capabilities and constraints of the target NFV management system, ensuring alignment between design and deployment requirements.
2Device complexity
If network functions are grouped into manageable units without considering target system capabilities, then the management complexity is reduced, but the deployability deteriorates due to misalignment with NFV management system organization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring the grouping of network functions into NwSSs to match the specific organizational capabilities and constraints of the target NFV management system. Different management systems receive differently structured NwSS groupings that align with their local organizational characteristics, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
3Productivity
If the mapping of network slices to network services is determined without considering management constraints, then the design speed is improved, but the resource utilization deteriorates due to inability to align with target system capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary determination of the mapping between NwSSs and NSs during the design phase, considering management constraints in advance. This upfront action ensures that the mapping is deployment-ready and optimizes resource utilization without requiring slow iterative adjustments during actual deployment.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of providing at least one Network Service (NS) to a Network Slice (NwS) during a design phase of the NwS based on a NwS Forwarding Graph (NwS FG) which comprises Network Functions (NFs) at a functional level, Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) and/or Physical Network Functions (PNFs) at a resource level, and embedding information for embedding the VNFs and/or PNFs (VNFs/PNFs) across more than one domain. The method determines, based on the NwS FG, Network Slice Subnets (NwSSs) for the NwS, wherein NFs comprising the NwS FG are grouped into respective groups to be managed by a respective NwSS manager. The method further maps the NwSSs to NSs based on Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator (NFVO) assigned to a domain, wherein at least some of the VNFs/PNFs managed by respective NFVOs are mapped to sites across the multiple domains determined by the embedding information.