Network Slice Management System Service Request Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing network slice management systems in 5G mobile communication technologies have inefficiencies in utilizing slice management capabilities and resources, leading to suboptimal performance in providing network slice services.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a service request and provision method that allows application servers to interact with the network slice management system to request and provide network slice template services and network slice capability services, enhancing the utilization of slice management capabilities and resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If network slicing technology is introduced to meet different network requirements, then network performance requirements in different scenarios are met, but the complexity of managing network slices increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monolithic network slice management into a hierarchical structure with CSMF at the top level handling service-level requirements, NSMF at the middle level handling network slice instance management, and NSSMF at the bottom level handling subnet slice instance management. This segmentation distributes management complexity across multiple specialized components, resolving the contradiction between meeting diverse network requirements and managing slice complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces NFV Orchestrator (NFVO) and NFV Manager (NFVM) as intermediary components between the slice management system and the actual network resources. These intermediaries abstract the complexity of resource management, allowing the CSMF/NSMF/NSSMF hierarchy to manage slices without directly handling the underlying infrastructure complexity, thus resolving the management complexity issue while maintaining adaptability.
2Reliability
If slice management capabilities are focused on providing network slice services, then network slice services are provided effectively, but the efficiency in using slice management capabilities and resources is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances the CSMF with multi-functional capabilities beyond basic service requirement conversion. The CSMF can now directly create network slice instances, manage network slice templates, and handle end-to-end slice lifecycle management. This universality allows the same management infrastructure to handle both service provision and resource optimization tasks, resolving the contradiction between reliable service provision and resource efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces network slice template management functionality that allows pre-definition and validation of network slice configurations before actual slice instantiation. The CSMF can validate service requirements against templates, pre-allocate resources, and prepare slice configurations in advance, improving resource utilization efficiency while ensuring reliable service provision through pre-validation.
Data Source
AI summary
Through further capability exposure of a network slice management system, an application server is enabled to request, from the network slice management system, a network slice template service or a network slice capability service in addition to the network slice service, thus making full use of the slice management capabilities and resources in the slice management system, which in turn enhances the efficiency in using slice management capabilities and resources.