NFV Orchestrator for vCPE Service Mobility Across Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current NFV-based network services are limited as they require physical apparatuses to handle real user traffic, restricting their availability to configured locations, and lack a method for providing network connections for customer premises equipment (CPE) services across different locations.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing NFV clouds in different regions, managed by an orchestrator and service managers, allows for the provision of vCPE services independently of physical locations by orchestrating the movement of vCPE services between NFV clouds located in customer premises, local telecommunication offices, and data centers, using virtual and physical interfaces for traffic management and tunneling protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If NFV-based network services are provided through virtual machines, then service mobility between data centers is possible, but real user traffic cannot be accommodated without physical service providing apparatus located at specific positions
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments network services into two distinct components: control plane functions (virtualized and movable between data centers) and data plane functions (physical apparatuses at edge locations). The orchestrator manages this segmentation by selectively migrating only control plane virtual machines while maintaining physical data plane infrastructure at edge data centers, thus enabling service mobility without compromising traffic accommodation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The orchestrator acts as an intermediary between the centralized cloud network operations center and edge data centers. It receives service deployment requests, determines optimal edge data center locations based on traffic requirements, and coordinates the deployment of both virtual control plane functions and physical data plane apparatuses, thereby bridging the gap between virtualized service mobility and physical traffic handling requirements.
2Reliability
If physical service providing apparatus are located at specific positions to handle real user traffic, then traffic processing is enabled, but service location becomes dependent on physical server locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments network services into control plane functions (virtualized) and data plane functions (physical). This segmentation allows control plane virtual machines to be freely migrated between data centers for load balancing and maintenance, while physical data plane apparatuses remain at edge locations to ensure reliable traffic processing. The orchestrator manages this separation, enabling service location independence for control functions while maintaining fixed physical infrastructure for data processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of control plane functions that can be deployed to multiple data centers simultaneously. When service migration is needed, the orchestrator activates a virtual copy at the target data center and gradually shifts traffic, ensuring continuous reliable processing. This copying mechanism maintains service reliability during transitions and enables flexible service location management.
3Reliability
If NFV clouds are distributed across different regions, then service continuity and scalability are improved, but system complexity increases due to multi-region orchestration
Solution Approach 1:
The orchestrator is designed as a universal multi-functional system that handles diverse tasks including service deployment, migration, scaling, and failure recovery across multiple regions through a unified interface. It maintains a centralized view of all edge data centers and virtual machines, applying the same orchestration logic regardless of region or service type. This universal design simplifies multi-region management by providing consistent orchestration capabilities rather than region-specific solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The orchestrator implements continuous feedback mechanisms by monitoring the status of virtual machines, physical apparatuses, and traffic flows across all edge data centers. Based on this real-time feedback, the orchestrator dynamically adjusts service deployments, triggers migrations when thresholds are exceeded, and activates failover procedures. This feedback-driven approach automates complex multi-region coordination, reducing manual intervention and simplifying system management.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing virtual customer premises equipment (vCPE) services to a customer by using network function virtualization (NFV) clouds located in different regions, comprises an orchestrator managing NFV clouds located in at least two different regions; and a service manager located in each of the NFV clouds, the service manager interworking with the orchestrator. Also, the orchestrator controls the service manager to move a vCPE service for the customer from a first NFV cloud to a second NFV cloud among the NFV clouds, and provides the vCPE service to the customer through the second NFV cloud.