Virtual Network Function Orchestration for Roaming QoS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Roaming subscribers in wireless telecommunications often experience suboptimal Quality of Service (QoS) due to limitations in partnership agreements between wireless service providers, leading to rejected or modified QoS, resulting in latency and jitter that affect interactive and multimedia applications, causing user dissatisfaction and potential churn.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for providing virtual network functions in a visited network, dynamically instantiating virtual network functions based on agreements between home and visited network operators, allowing roaming users to access services with the same QoS as their home network by designating corresponding virtual network functions and orchestrating their instantiation or modification according to user profiles and network conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional roaming partnership agreements are used between wireless service providers, then roaming connectivity is established, but Quality of Service (QoS) is degraded due to rejected or modified QoS parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a QoS translation intermediary that sits between the visited network and home network. This intermediary translates QoS parameters from the visited network's format to the home network's format, enabling seamless QoS continuity without requiring direct partnership agreements. The intermediary acts as a mediator that reconciles the different QoS frameworks of different networks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes QoS parameters based on network conditions, user profiles, and service requirements. The system monitors QoS parameters in real-time and adjusts them to maintain consistent service quality across different networks. This includes modifying bandwidth allocations, latency thresholds, and priority levels to match home network standards.
2Reliability
If QoS parameters are strictly enforced for roaming users, then service quality is maintained, but network latency and jitter increase affecting interactive applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic QoS adjustment that adapts to real-time network conditions. Rather than enforcing static QoS parameters, the system continuously monitors network status, user location, and service type to dynamically adjust QoS settings. This allows the system to maintain service quality while minimizing latency and jitter by relaxing constraints when network conditions permit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor QoS performance metrics including latency, jitter, and packet loss. This feedback is used to continuously refine QoS parameter enforcement, allowing the system to learn from actual performance and adjust enforcement strategies accordingly. The feedback loop enables the system to maintain service quality while avoiding excessive latency.
3Reliability
If virtual network functions are dynamically instantiated for each roaming user, then QoS consistency is improved, but network complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal virtual network function templates that can serve multiple roaming users simultaneously. Rather than instantiating separate VNFs for each user, the system uses multi-functional VNF instances that can handle multiple user connections and service types. This reduces overall network complexity while maintaining QoS consistency across all users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple VNF instances into consolidated virtual network functions that provide the same services to multiple users. By combining functionality and sharing resources among VNFs serving different roaming users, the system reduces overall network complexity and resource consumption while maintaining individual QoS guarantees through virtualization isolation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for providing a virtual network function in a visited network are disclosed. For example, the method receives an attach request or a handover for a user endpoint device, determines a home network for the user endpoint device, receives a profile of the user endpoint device, determines a policy for providing a service to the user endpoint device in accordance with the profile, determines a set of virtual network functions needed for providing the service to the user endpoint device in accordance with the policy, grants the attach request or the handover, designates for each virtual network function of the set of virtual network functions that is needed for providing the service, a corresponding virtual network function for serving the user endpoint device at a location of the user endpoint device, and provides the service to the user endpoint device via the set of virtual network functions.