Network Slice Provisioning With Renewable Energy Constraints
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 5G network slice provisioning systems do not adequately consider renewable energy usage, failing to monitor and report energy consumption effectively, which hinders energy-efficient network slice deployment.
Innovation Solution
A method where a Network Slice Provider (NSP) incorporates a renewable energy parameter in the Network Slice provisioning process, determining feasibility and selecting data centers that meet a minimum renewable energy requirement, and configuring the slice accordingly, considering additional criteria like QoS and capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If network slice provisioning is performed without considering renewable energy usage, then deployment speed and simplicity are improved, but energy efficiency and environmental sustainability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of renewable energy availability and consumption characteristics of candidate data centers before network slice deployment. The NSP evaluates energy metrics and carbon emission information in advance, identifying suitable data centers that meet renewable energy targets, thereby ensuring energy efficiency is integrated into the provisioning process without significantly delaying deployment
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the NSP monitors and reports energy consumption metrics, renewable energy usage, and carbon emission information throughout the network slice lifecycle. This feedback enables continuous optimization of energy efficiency while maintaining deployment effectiveness
2Reliability
If the NSP monitors and reports energy consumption metrics for multiple data centers, then energy awareness and sustainability are improved, but system complexity and monitoring overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The NSP is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it manages network slice provisioning, monitors energy consumption metrics, tracks renewable energy usage, reports carbon emission information, and makes deployment decisions based on combined technical and energy criteria. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single unified platform
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges energy management functions with traditional network slice provisioning processes. The NSP integrates energy metric collection, analysis, and reporting capabilities into the existing network management infrastructure, combining operational management and energy sustainability management into a unified system rather than maintaining separate monitoring systems
Data Source
AI summary
A Network Slice is configured by a Network Slice Provider (NSP) in a telecommunications network, in particular at a telecommunications network management system of the NSP. The NSP receives, as part of a service profile message from a Network Slice Consumer (NSC), an indication of a minimum amount of renewable energy to be used for realisation of the Network Slice. The NSP determines feasibility of the indicated minimum amount of renewable energy to realise the Network Slice, based on information of renewable energy consumption in respect of a plurality of data centres with which the Network Slice can be realised.