Virtualized Network Function Decomposition for Management Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current approaches to managing virtualized network functions (VNFs) face challenges in clearly defining the scope of management entities responsible for application virtualization layers, as they are burdened with complexity and dynamism associated with virtualization, and require detailed knowledge of applications and services, which is not transparent to operators, especially in telecommunication environments with multiple standardization bodies involved.
Innovation Solution
Decomposing network functions into smaller blocks of application, platform, and resources parts, allowing these components to be managed by different entities using standardized approaches, where the application part is instantiated and configured by an element manager, and the platform part by a virtualized network function manager, maintaining clear layering separation and compatibility with existing network element-based management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If network functions are virtualized and managed as unified entities, then service deployment speed is improved, but management complexity and difficulty of identifying responsibility scope increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the VNF management scope into two distinct parts: the application part (managed by element manager) and the virtualization platform part (managed by virtualized network function manager). This segmentation resolves the technical contradiction by allowing rapid service deployment through clear responsibility assignment while reducing management complexity through defined boundaries between management entities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If management entities handle complete VNF lifecycle management, then service provisioning flexibility is improved, but operational transparency and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides VNF management into application-specific management (element manager) and platform-specific management (virtualized network function manager), enabling operational transparency by allowing operators to interact with familiar application-level interfaces while maintaining flexibility through the underlying virtualized platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The element manager acts as an intermediary for application-level management operations, translating high-level application management requests into appropriate platform-level operations, thereby maintaining operational transparency while preserving service provisioning flexibility.
3Reliability
If single management entity controls entire VNF, then management consistency is improved, but adaptability to different management standards and entities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments management control between two specialized entities: element manager for application consistency and virtualized network function manager for platform consistency. This allows each entity to maintain consistency within its domain while the system as a whole achieves adaptability to different management standards and entities.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for virtualized network function (VNF) decomposition are provided. An embodiment of the invention includes to first decompose the Network Function into smaller blocks: application, platform, and resources (i.e., compute, network, and storage), then manage the decomposed application and platform parts by separate entities (e.g., EM/VNFM). This decomposition may be applied to the Network Elements (i.e., the current building blocks of telecommunication networks) and to the VNFs.