Network Slices for Traffic Engineering Resource Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current traffic engineering techniques in communications networks face challenges in efficiently managing data transmissions and ensuring quality of service (QoS) across diverse network demands, leading to network congestion and increased operational complexity.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of network slicing allows for the allocation of physical link resources to each slice based on instructions from traffic engineering entities, enabling each slice to manage its own data flows independently, thereby reducing operational complexity and improving network efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If network slicing is implemented to enable independent resource allocation for each service, then resource allocation flexibility and QoS management are improved, but device complexity and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network is divided into multiple independent network slices, each capable of managing its own resources and traffic engineering independently. This segmentation allows each slice to be optimized for specific services while maintaining overall network flexibility, resolving the contradiction by enabling adaptable resource allocation through structured division rather than monolithic management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal resource allocation framework that can serve multiple different services and traffic engineering scenarios across network slices. The same infrastructure and control mechanisms support diverse services (e.g., enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low-latency communication, massive machine type communication) simultaneously, providing versatility without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional traffic engineering techniques are used to manage data transmissions, then network-wide traffic control is maintained, but network congestion increases and QoS requirements cannot be met for diverse services
Solution Approach 1:
Traffic engineering is segmented at the network slice level rather than applied network-wide. Each network slice implements its own traffic engineering independently, allowing services with different QoS requirements to be managed separately. This prevents high-priority traffic from being bottlenecked by low-priority traffic and eliminates network-wide congestion while maintaining reliable QoS guarantees for each service type.
Solution Approach 2:
Different traffic engineering policies and parameters are applied locally to each network slice according to its specific service requirements. For example, enhanced mobile broadband slices may use different queuing and scheduling parameters than ultra-reliable low-latency communication slices. This localized optimization ensures each service receives appropriate QoS treatment without compromising overall network efficiency.
3Productivity
If physical link resources are shared across all network services, then resource utilization is maximized, but individual service QoS requirements cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
Physical link resources are segmented and allocated to different network slices based on service requirements. Each slice receives dedicated resource portions that are guaranteed for its operation, ensuring QoS compliance. The segmentation enables simultaneous resource sharing across slices while maintaining isolated quality guarantees, as each slice manages its allocated resources independently under its own traffic engineering control.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for performing traffic engineering in a communications network using a plurality of network slices are disclosed. The network slices are configured to manage a service including transmission of data along one or more flows along nodes of the communications network using a portion of physical link resources of the communications network. The method includes allocating the portion of physical link resources of the communications network associated with a first network slice of the plurality of network slices in accordance with instructions received from a traffic engineering entity associated with the first network slice.