NF-Level FCAPS Reporting Agent for Independent Fault and Performance Reporting

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing fault and performance management reporting mechanisms in 5G O-RAN systems are resource-intensive and lack independent management of fault and performance microservices, leading to inefficiencies in high availability and load balancing, and require additional resources and updates to transport mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a separate Network Function (NF) level FCAPS reporting microservice to manage fault and performance reporting independently from Fault Management (FM) and Performance Management (PM) microservices, allowing for independent resource management and fine-grained control, including separate reporting connectivity and retry mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a separate NF level FCAPS reporting microservice is implemented to manage fault and performance reporting independently, then high availability and load balancing are enhanced with fine-grained control and reduced resource requirements, but device complexity increases due to additional reporting agents and separate connectivity mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehigh availabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the reporting functionality by introducing a separate NF level FCAPS reporting microservice that is independent from the core FM and PM microservices. This segmentation allows the reporting agent to be managed separately with its own resource allocation, retry mechanisms, and connectivity pathways, thereby enhancing high availability without requiring updates to the core management microservices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reporting agent acts as an intermediary component between the core FM/PM microservices and the Northbound Management System. It receives data from the core microservices, manages its own connectivity and retry logic, and delivers reports independently, thus isolating the core services from reporting complexities while improving overall system reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If independent management of reporting agents is implemented with separate connectivity and retry mechanisms, then resource requirements are reduced and retry counts can be increased without affecting core FM and PM microservices, but ease of operation decreases due to additional management overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource requirementsVSAvoidease of operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the reporting functionality into a separate agent with independent resource management, the patent allows reporting operations to consume dedicated resources without impacting core FM/PM microservices. This enables increased retry counts and separate connectivity management while maintaining efficient resource utilization specific to reporting operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Device complexity

If fault and performance reporting are managed together in the same microservice, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to resource-intensive operations and inability to optimize reporting separately

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidproductivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments reporting operations from core FM/PM microservices into a dedicated NF level FCAPS reporting agent. This segmentation enables independent optimization of reporting operations, allowing the system to process and deliver fault and performance reports more efficiently without being constrained by the resource requirements of core management functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reporting agent is designed as a universal component that can handle both fault management reporting and performance management reporting through a unified interface and common data collection mechanisms, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining the ability to optimize reporting operations independently for both functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12445346B2Optimal fault and performance management reporting via NF level northbound reporting agent

Publication Date: 2025.10.14 RAKUTEN SYMPHONY INC

AI summary

A method for reporting data to a Northbound Management System (NBMS) via a Network Function (NF) level Northbound FCAPS Reporting Microservice (MS) in an NF of a Radio Access Network (RAN), the method including receiving, by a first microservice (MS) from at least one other MS of the NF, data, the first MS being one of a Fault Management (FM) MS and a Performance Management (PM) MS and the data comprising performance data for the PM MS or event data for the FM MS; processing, by the first MS, the received data; obtaining, by the FCAPS Reporting MS, the processed data; and reporting, from the FCAPS Reporting MS to the NBMS, the processed data.