Service Chain Design for Virtualized Network Function Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network services face challenges in designing a redundant configuration for virtualized network functions that balances reliability and cost efficiency, as physical resources used in redundancy often become idle during normal times, leading to resource waste, and the fixed nature of physical devices limits flexibility in responding to user requirements.
Innovation Solution
A service chain design apparatus that determines the importance of Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) based on the number of service chains and accommodated users, calculates the need for redundancy, and strategically places new VNFs on different physical servers to minimize overlapping resources and ensure high reliability while reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant configuration is implemented for all VNFs, then reliability is improved, but cost efficiency deteriorates due to resource waste during normal operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating redundancy allocation across different VNFs based on their individual importance levels. Critical VNFs receive redundant configurations while non-critical VNFs operate without redundancy, optimizing the balance between reliability and resource efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of redundancy allocation from a uniform approach to a dynamic approach based on VNF importance metrics. The system calculates importance levels using multiple parameters (number of service chains, number of users, service chain importance) and adjusts redundancy configuration accordingly.
2Stability of the object's composition
If physical devices are used for network functions, then system stability is improved, but flexibility deteriorates due to fixed configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by enabling flexible allocation and reconfiguration of VNFs on physical servers. The system can dynamically adjust service chain configurations, migrate VNFs between servers, and modify redundancy levels based on changing requirements, combining the stability of physical infrastructure with the flexibility of virtualization.
3Reliability
If redundancy is implemented for critical VNFs, then fault tolerance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by continuously monitoring VNF performance, service chain usage, and system state to dynamically adjust redundancy configurations. The system calculates VNF importance levels based on current operational data and automatically adjusts redundancy allocation, reducing the need for manual configuration management.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations are directed to designing a redundant configuration for a virtualized network function with cost efficiency while improving reliability of entire service chain. A service chain design apparatus includes a redundancy target VNF determining unit that defines, as importance of each VNF, at least one of the number of service chains using the VNF or the number of accommodated users in the service chains using the VNF, and determines a VNF having high importance as a redundancy target VNF, and a redundancy determining unit that determines, when importance of the redundancy target VNF determined by the redundancy target VNF determining unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, the redundancy target VNF having the importance exceeding the predetermined threshold as a redundancy execution VNF.