NFV Orchestrator Grant Mechanism for Nested Service Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In network function virtualization (NFV), existing resource management grant mechanisms fail to manage target conflicts between life cycle management operations of nested and composite network services across multiple management domains, leading to adverse impacts on resource allocation and operation consistency.
Innovation Solution
A nested network service life cycle management grant method is introduced, where a grant management mechanism is established between first and second NFVOs to ensure target consistency by determining the impact of nested NS instance operations on composite NS instances, preventing conflicts through virtual resource view management and affinity/anti-affinity rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing resource management grant mechanism is used for nested NS LCM operations, then resource allocation can be performed, but target conflicts occur between nested NS and composite NS operations leading to inconsistent resource management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an NFVO (Network Functions Virtualization Orchestrator) as an intermediary layer between the first NFV MANO system and the second NFV MANO system. This intermediary coordinates resource management across management domains, preventing target conflicts by mediating between nested NS operations and composite NS operations, thereby ensuring operation consistency while maintaining resource allocation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the resource management system into multiple independent NFV MANO systems, each managing its own management domain. The first NFV MANO system manages nested NS instances while the second NFV MANO system manages composite NS instances. This segmentation allows independent resource allocation within each domain while preventing conflicts through the intermediary NFVO coordination.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple NFV MANO systems are deployed for different management domains, then independent resource management is achieved, but coordination between nested NS and composite NS operations becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coordination function across multiple NFV MANO systems into a single NFVO intermediary. This centralizes the complex coordination logic in one component, allowing multiple management domains to be managed independently while simplifying the overall system architecture by having a single point of coordination rather than distributed coordination complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The NFVO acts as an intermediary that simplifies cross-domain coordination. Instead of each NFV MANO system needing to directly coordinate with every other system, the intermediary NFVO provides a standardized interface for resource management requests, reducing coordination complexity while maintaining multi-domain adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If resource management is centralized in a single NFVO, then coordination is simplified, but independent resource allocation for nested NS instances managed by different NFVOs is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments resource management authority across multiple NFVO systems, with each NFVO independently managing resources within its own management domain. This allows independent resource allocation for nested NS instances while the intermediary NFVO coordinates cross-domain operations, maintaining both ease of operation and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to resource management, where resource allocation occurs at two levels: local resource allocation by individual NFVOs within their management domains, and cross-domain coordination by the intermediary NFVO. This multi-level approach enables independent resource allocation while maintaining simplified coordination through the intermediary layer.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application provides a network service life cycle management grant method, including: receiving, by a first NFVO, an NS LCM operation request from a sender, where the NS LCM operation request carries an identifier of a first NS instance and a type of an NS LCM operation; sending, by the first NFVO, a grant request to a second NFVO based on the NS LCM operation request, to request the second NFVO to permit the first NFVO to perform virtual resource management for the NS LCM operation performed for the first NS instance; after a grant of the second NFVO is obtained, receiving, by the first NFVO, a grant response of the second NFVO; and performing, by the first NFVO based on the grant response, virtual resource management for the NS LCM operation performed for the first NS instance. Accordingly, a grant management mechanism is used between the first NFVO and the second NFVO, to implement target consistency.