Network Service Descriptor Sharing and Placement Rules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Network Function Virtualization (NFV) systems lack support for expressing full and partial isolation requirements between network slices and network slice subnets, particularly in terms of sharing and placement rules, which are essential for ensuring physical and logical isolation and compliance with specific use case requirements.
Innovation Solution
Introducing new attributes in the Network Service Descriptor (NSD) to express sharing constraints and placement rules, allowing for the definition of sharing allowed and external placement rules, enabling the realization of network slices and subnets as single, possibly composite, network services that can manage isolation and sharing constraints at both physical and logical levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If network slices are run on a common physical infrastructure to improve resource utilization, then productivity is improved, but isolation between network slices cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the common physical infrastructure into multiple isolated network slices by introducing sharing constraints and placement rules at the network service descriptor level. Each network slice is treated as a separate logical entity with defined boundaries, allowing multiple slices to coexist on shared infrastructure while maintaining isolation through orchestrator-enforced constraints on resource sharing and placement.
2Productivity
If network service instances are reused across different network services to improve resource efficiency, then productivity is improved, but isolation requirements between network slices are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing context-dependent sharing rules that vary across different network service instances and constituents. The sharingAllowed attribute and external placement rules allow selective sharing at specific levels (network service, nested network service, virtual network function, virtual link) while maintaining isolation where required, enabling fine-grained control over resource reuse based on local isolation requirements.
3Reliability
If sharing constraints and placement rules are enforced to ensure isolation between network slices, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by defining all sharing constraints and placement rules in advance within the network service descriptor template before instantiation. The orchestrator retrieves these pre-defined constraints from the NSD and applies them during resource allocation, avoiding the need for complex runtime decision-making and reducing orchestrator complexity while ensuring isolation requirements are met.
4Reliability
If network service descriptors include detailed sharing and placement attributes to express isolation requirements, then reliability is improved, but the complexity of the descriptor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the network service descriptor to serve multiple functions: it defines network service constituents, specifies resource requirements, and expresses isolation constraints all within a single standardized structure. The sharingAllowed attribute and external placement rules are integrated into the existing NSD framework, allowing the same descriptor mechanism to handle both resource allocation and isolation requirements without requiring separate specification languages.
Data Source
AI summary
A non-transitory computer readable media, methods, system and network function virtualization orchestrator can be used to instantiate a network service operating as at least a portion of a network slice. A network service descriptor describing the network service comprises at least one service deployment flavor; zero or more sharing allowed attribute defining if the network service or constituent instances of the network service is allowed to be shared with another network service instance, or with its constituent instances; and zero or more external placement rule attribute defining if the network service or constituent instances of the network service, is affine or anti-affine with current and future other network service or constituent instances of the current and future other network service.