NFV MANO VAF Lifecycle Management via Descriptor Association

The existing NFV MANO system components (NFVO, VNFM, VIM) are extended to perform additional functions related to VAF management. The NFVO is enhanced to manage VAF lifecycle and associations, the VNFM is extended to handle VAF deployment and configuration, and the VIM is augmented to track VAF resource requirements. This multi-functionality approach allows the system to manage both VNFs and VAFs using the same core infrastructure, avoiding the need for separate dedicated management systems and thereby preventing excessive complexity increase while gaining adaptability.

A new VAF descriptor format is introduced as an intermediary data structure that bridges the existing NFV MANO framework and VAF management requirements. The descriptor contains information about VAF functionality, resource requirements, and association rules with VNFs, allowing the system to manage dynamic VAF-VNF associations through standardized interfaces without requiring fundamental architectural changes. This intermediary mechanism enables the system to handle the complexity of dynamic associations while maintaining the existing architecture.

The management of VAF-VNF associations is segmented into distinct operational phases: VAF deployment phase (where associations are defined in the VAF descriptor), VAF instantiation phase (where associations are established), and VAF runtime phase (where associations can be dynamically modified). This segmentation allows the system to maintain strict control over VNF operational integrity through the NFV MANO framework while providing flexible ease of operation for VAF association management through the extended interfaces and procedures.

The system implements dynamic association management where VAFs can be associated, disassociated, and re-associated with VNFs during runtime without requiring changes to the static VNF Forwarding Graph. The NFVO maintains a separate association registry that tracks dynamic VAF-VNF relationships, allowing operations such as association spawning, cloning, migration, and scaling to be performed on VAFs independently of VNF operational constraints. This dynamic approach enables easy management of loose couplings while preserving VNF operational integrity.