Orchestration Node for Multi-Cloud NFV Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network function virtualization (NFV) orchestration methods are inefficient in managing virtualized infrastructure resources across multiple clouds, leading to overburdened manager nodes and inflexible management of virtual network functions (VNFs), resulting in inefficiencies in multi-cloud resource provisioning and management.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of orchestration nodes that manage local control planes across multiple clouds, interfacing with different virtual infrastructure managers (VIMs) to enable secure communication and deployment of services, including resource provisioning and management, while using entitlement servers for authorization and version compatibility between different VIM versions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single manager node is used to manage VNFs across multiple clouds, then centralized control is achieved, but the manager node becomes overburdened and management efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized manager node into multiple distributed orchestration nodes, each managing a subset of VNFs and clouds. This segmentation distributes the management load across multiple nodes, preventing any single node from becoming overburdened while maintaining coordinated control across the multi-cloud environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the management architecture, with orchestration nodes operating at different levels (cloud-level and cross-cloud level). This dimensional expansion allows management functions to be distributed vertically and horizontally, reducing the burden on individual nodes while maintaining overall system coordination.
2Adaptability or versatility
If VNF management is distributed to local control planes, then management flexibility is improved, but coordination across multiple clouds becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary components (orchestration nodes and service brokers) that mediate between local control planes and the overall system. These intermediaries handle the coordination complexity by providing standardized interfaces and translation layers, allowing local control planes to operate independently while maintaining coherent cross-cloud coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The orchestration nodes are designed with universal capabilities to handle multiple functions including local VNF management, cross-cloud coordination, resource provisioning, and service orchestration. This multi-functionality reduces coordination complexity by consolidating diverse management tasks into unified nodes that can handle various operations through standardized processes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple VIM versions are supported, then system compatibility is improved, but version compatibility management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The service broker acts as an intermediary layer between orchestration nodes and multiple VIM versions. It provides version-agnostic interfaces and handles version-specific translations, allowing the system to support multiple VIM versions simultaneously without requiring complex version management logic at each orchestration node. The broker mediates communication and adapts requests to appropriate VIM versions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates abstracted copies of VIM interfaces through the service broker, which standardizes interactions with different VIM versions. Instead of directly managing the complexity of multiple VIM versions, the broker creates unified interface copies that orchestration nodes can interact with consistently, while the broker handles the actual version-specific implementations.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples for managing virtual infrastructure resources in cloud environments can include (1) instantiating an orchestration node for managing local control planes at multiple clouds, (2) instantiating first and second local control planes at different respective clouds, the first and second local control planes interfacing with different respective virtualized infrastructure managers (“VIMs”), where the first and second local control planes establish secure communication with the orchestration node, and (3) deploying, by the orchestration node, services to the first and second local control planes. Further, the first and second local control planes can cause the respective VIMs to manage the services at the different respective clouds.