NFV Event Collector Rule-Based Feedback for Dynamic Prioritization

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing Network Function Virtualization (NFV) architecture faces challenges in efficiently handling and prioritizing events due to dynamic network conditions and the inability to adapt to changing orchestration policies, leading to suboptimal response times and inefficient resource utilization.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an event collector that uses feedback from an event handler to create a data structure for prioritizing event forwarding based on rules engine matches, employing expiration timers and hit counters to dynamically adjust priorities, and utilizing priority queues to ensure important events are processed first.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If events are processed in the order they arrive in NFV architecture, then the system maintains simple event handling logic, but the response time for important events is delayed and resource utilization is suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveevent response timeVSAvoidevent handling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-establishes priority rules and criteria for event classification before events arrive. The event collector is pre-configured with rules engines that can immediately categorize incoming events based on their characteristics, allowing important events to be identified and prioritized without complex real-time decision-making

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The event handling system is segmented into multiple priority queues (high, medium, low priority) rather than a single FIFO queue. This segmentation allows different types of events to be routed to appropriate queues based on pre-defined rules, enabling parallel processing of events at different priority levels and reducing overall response time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the system uses static event prioritization rules, then the event handling logic is simple and predictable, but the system cannot adapt to changing network conditions and orchestration policies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptation to changing conditionsVSAvoidprioritization mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements dynamic prioritization where priority rules and criteria can be modified at runtime based on changing network conditions and orchestration policies. The rules engine can be reconfigured without system downtime, allowing the prioritization mechanism to adapt to new requirements while maintaining operational continuity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor event processing performance and system state, using this information to dynamically adjust prioritization rules. Performance metrics and event patterns are continuously analyzed to optimize priority assignments, enabling the system to adapt to changing conditions based on actual operational data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If advanced prioritization mechanisms are implemented to improve event response times, then event handling efficiency improves, but the overhead of managing complex data structures and algorithms increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveevent processing efficiencyVSAvoidcomputational overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial prioritization by focusing computational resources on identifying and processing only the most critical events with high priority, rather than attempting to optimize all events equally. This selective approach improves response time for important events while minimizing the overhead associated with complex prioritization mechanisms for less critical events

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3912034B1Methods for event prioritization in network function virtualization using rule-based feedback
Publication Date: 2025.07.09 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3912034B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3912034B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3912034B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method is implemented by an event collector to utilize feedback from an event handler to prioritize event forwarding to the event handler. The method includes receiving feedback from the event handler in response to a successful match-action in a rules engine, the feedback including a derived condition which is a generalized version of a condition stored in the match part of a rule, determining whether the derived condition is stored in an event prioritizer, and storing the derived condition in the event prioritizer with initial expiration timer and hit counter, in response to the derived condition not being present in the event prioritizer, and updating a hit counter and expiration timer of the derived condition in the event prioritizer, in response to the derived condition being present in the event prioritizer.