Service-Level Reliability Metrics Allocation in Virtualization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for assessing network function reliability are hardware-centric and fail to provide a holistic, service-oriented perspective, especially in virtualization environments where software and hardware can be separated across different vendors, leading to inadequate vendor reliability requirements and metrics.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of service-level reliability metrics that can be allocated between software and hardware layers, allowing for the definition of availability, accessibility, continuity, and performability requirements, which can be used to set initial targets and monitor service reliability, ensuring better customer experience and vendor accountability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional hardware-centric reliability assessment methods are used, then hardware failure and repair rates can be measured, but a holistic service-oriented perspective is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments reliability metrics into distinct service-level categories (availability, accessibility, continuity, performability) that can be independently measured and allocated to different vendors, transforming the monolithic hardware-centric assessment into granular service-oriented measurements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces service-level reliability metrics as an intermediary layer between hardware performance and customer experience, enabling indirect measurement of service quality through standardized metrics that bridge the gap between technical hardware parameters and business service outcomes
2Reliability
If service-level reliability metrics are allocated between software and hardware layers, then vendor accountability is enhanced, but metric definition and monitoring complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides service-level reliability into four distinct allocable metrics (availability, accessibility, continuity, performability), each of which can be independently assigned to software or hardware vendors based on their respective responsibilities, enabling precise accountability without requiring complex integrated monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms abstract service quality concepts into measurable parameters with defined thresholds and targets, allowing automated monitoring and alerting systems to track vendor performance through standardized metric collections rather than complex qualitative assessments
3Adaptability or versatility
If virtualization separates software from hardware across different vendors, then flexibility and adaptability improve, but reliability assessment becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the virtualized environment into distinct software and hardware layers with separately measurable reliability metrics, allowing each vendor to be assessed on their specific layer while maintaining overall service reliability through aggregated metric analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal service-level reliability metrics that function across multiple vendor boundaries and virtualization layers, providing a common measurement framework that works whether software and hardware are from the same vendor or different vendors
Data Source
AI summary
A set of service-level reliability metrics and a method to allocate these metrics to the layers of the service delivery platform. These initial targets can be tuned during service design and delivery, and feed the vendor requirements process, forming the basis for measuring, tracking, and responding based on the service-level reliability metrics.