Virtualized Service Active Testing for SLA Violation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack efficient and automated methods for active monitoring and testing of virtual execution elements in dynamic virtualized environments, particularly in the context of network slices and containerized applications, which are critical for ensuring service level agreements and network functionality in 5G infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
Implementing active monitoring using declarative testing descriptors and metadata-driven configurations, where test agents are dynamically deployed to virtual execution elements to automatically validate network slices and services, leveraging Kubernetes platforms for orchestration and integration with simulation elements to ensure compliance with service level requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual monitoring methods are used for virtual execution elements, then monitoring can be performed, but the complexity increases and automation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system enables self-service by allowing the virtualized service itself to provide monitoring data through metadata exposed by the orchestration layer. The test agents automatically discover and monitor services without manual configuration, as the services publish their own metadata that the monitoring system consumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring test agents with templates that define monitoring parameters before deployment. When a service is deployed, the test agent automatically applies these pre-defined templates to the service metadata, eliminating the need for manual monitoring setup.
2Adaptability or versatility
If dynamic deployment of test agents is implemented, then monitoring flexibility improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamics by enabling test agents to be dynamically deployed and configured based on service requirements. The test agent can be instantiated with different monitoring templates for different service types, and can be automatically created, moved, or removed as services are deployed or scaled.
Solution Approach 2:
The test agent is designed as a universal component that can monitor multiple types of virtual execution elements (containers, virtual machines, bare metal servers) through a common interface. A single test agent implementation can adapt to different service types by consuming their respective metadata formats.
3Reliability
If comprehensive monitoring of all services is performed, then service level agreement compliance improves, but resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by monitoring only the specific parameters defined in test templates that are relevant to each service type and its service level requirements. Rather than comprehensively monitoring all possible aspects of every service, the system selectively monitors only the necessary parameters to verify SLA compliance.
4Productivity
If automated testing configuration is implemented, then productivity improves, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring service parameters and comparing them against SLA thresholds defined in the test templates. When parameters deviate from acceptable ranges, the system can trigger alerts or automated responses, ensuring that productivity gains do not compromise measurement accuracy.
Data Source
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AI summary
An example method includes receiving, by a computing system, a declarative testing descriptor for active testing of a virtualized service; obtaining, from an orchestration layer, metadata associated with the virtualized service, wherein the metadata specifies a unique name for a virtualized service within the namespace of a cluster managed by the orchestration layer; determining, by the computing system using the declarative testing descriptor and the metadata, an active testing configuration for an instance of the virtualized service; and starting an active test according to the active testing configuration and determining service level violations for the instance of the virtualized service based on a result of the active test.