NFV-MANO Availability Mapping Across Layered Resource Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The ETSI NFV IFA specifications do not define how the Network Function Virtualisation Orchestrator (NFVO) achieves and maintains the requested Service Availability Level (SAL) for a network service throughout its deployment, leading to issues with resource allocation and management across different layers of the NFV-MANO functional entities.
Innovation Solution
Propagate the required availability or reliability level across the interfaces between NFV-MANO functional entities using hooks as placeholders for functions or policies to map and adjust behavior, ensuring that the requested SAL is met by implementing pluggable functions and policies based on analytical models or machine learning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the NFV Orchestrator grants resources based on Service Availability Level specifications, then service availability is improved, but the complexity of resource management and coordination across multiple functional entities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the NFV-MANO architecture into distinct functional entities (NFVO, VIM, VNFM) with clearly defined interfaces. Each entity manages specific aspects of resource allocation and availability, reducing overall system complexity through modular design while maintaining service availability guarantees.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the NFV Orchestrator as an intermediary entity that coordinates between the VIM (infrastructure management) and VNFM (virtual network function management). This mediator handles the complex resource allocation logic and availability guarantee mechanisms, shielding lower-level entities from complexity while ensuring SAL requirements are met.
2Adaptability or versatility
If hooks and pluggable functions are implemented across NFV-MANO interfaces, then adaptability and dynamic adjustment capability are improved, but the system complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic hooks and pluggable function mechanisms at NFV-MANO interfaces, allowing the system to adapt its behavior based on service requirements. These dynamic elements enable runtime configuration and adjustment of resource allocation policies without changing the core system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal hook interfaces that can serve multiple functions across different NFV-MANO entities. The same hook mechanism is used for resource allocation, availability monitoring, and policy enforcement, reducing implementation complexity through code reuse while maintaining high adaptability.
3Reliability
If resource allocation is coordinated across multiple layers of NFV-MANO functional entities, then service availability guarantee is improved, but the coordination overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary resource reservation and availability checking mechanisms during the service instantiation phase. By pre-allocating and validating resources before service deployment, the system reduces coordination overhead during runtime while maintaining service availability guarantees.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes feedback loops where the NFV Orchestrator continuously monitors resource allocation status and availability metrics across NFV-MANO entities. This real-time feedback enables dynamic adjustments and rapid coordination responses, reducing processing time while maintaining reliability guarantees.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to a method, executed by an NFV-MANO, for providing a requested Service Availability Level (SAL) for a Network Service (NS). The method comprises at each of a plurality of layers of the NFV-MANO, mapping the requested SAL to a SAL that needs to be provided by a lower layer of the NFV-MANO. The method comprises propagating the mapped requested SAL through interfaces between layers of the NFV-MANO, from an NFVO towards a VIM. The method comprises receiving an estimated SAL' for the NS based on virtual resources (VR) allocated by the VIM for satisfying the requested SAL. The method comprises, upon determining that the estimated SAL' does not satisfy the requested SAL, taking actions to meet the requested SAL, or upon determining that the estimated SAL' satisfies the requested SAL taking no further actions.