Controlling of communication network comprising virtualized network functions

• US 10,581,677 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Chong G
• Application Number:
  US15/112,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 709223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45575 Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/442 Shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A method comprising determining that at least one virtualized network function providing services related to a communication network is to be de-instantiated, preparing an indication related to the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network function, and causing transmission of the prepared indication to at least one of a network element of the communication network, a network function of the communication network and a database to which network elements or network functions of the communication network have access.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising

at least one processor,

and

at least one memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor, wherein

the at least one memory and the instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least:

to determine that at least one virtualized network function providing services related to a communication network is to be de-instantiated,

to prepare an indication related to the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network function, and

to cause transmission of the prepared indication to at least one of a plurality of 3^rd Generation Partner Project (3GPP) application network functions of the communication network and a database to which the at least one of the plurality of 3GPP application network functions of the communication network have access,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of 3GPP application network functions of the communication network and the database to which the at least one of the plurality of 3GPP application network functions of the communication network have access

a) is a party in the communication network being different to the at least one virtualized network function to be de-instantiated,

b) continues a communication in the communication network after the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network function, and

c) is configured to use the prepared indication to avoid an unsuccessful communication attempt to the at least one virtualized network function to be de-instantiated,

wherein the indication related to the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network element comprises an instruction for conducting a detach procedure, and

wherein the instruction is a bulk instruction for conducting a detach procedure for all communication elements being currently registered for the at least one virtualized network element to be de-instantiated.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instruction for conducting the detach procedure comprises a specific cause indication for a withdrawal of a subscription with regard to the at least one virtualized network element to be de-instantiated.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the indication related to the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network element comprises an identification information indicating that the at least one virtualized network element to be de-instantiated is de-instantiated and not available anymore.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least:

to cause transmission of the identification information to at least one of the 3GPP application network function of the communication network which potentially contacts the at least one virtualized network element to be de-instantiated.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the apparatus is implemented by one of

a communication network control element or communication network control function acting as a global orchestrator for implementing virtualized network functions,

a virtualized network function to be de-instantiated, and

an operation and maintenance element of the communication network,

wherein the virtualized network function to be de-instantiated is related to a core network function of the communication network.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least:

to cause transmission of the prepared indication to at least one of a communication element comprising a terminal device or user equipment capable of communicating in the communication network, a network element or network function of a radio access network part of the communication network, a network element or network function of a core network part of the communication network, and a database to which network elements or network functions of the communication network have access, wherein the database is comprised in at least one of a centralized database of the communication network and a local database comprised in one or more of the network elements or network functions of the communication network.

7. A method, comprising:

determining that at least one virtualized network function providing services related to a communication network is to be de-instantiated;

preparing an indication related to the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network function; and

causing transmission of the prepared indication to at least one of a plurality of 3^rd Generation Partner Project (3GPP) application network functions of the communication network and a database to which the at least one of the plurality of 3GPP application network functions of the communication network have access,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of 3GPP application network functions of the communication network and the database to which the at least one of the plurality of 3GPP application network functions of the communication network have access

a) is a party in the communication network being different to the at least one virtualized network function to be de-instantiated,

b) continues a communication in the communication network after the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network function, and

c) is configured to use the prepared indication to avoid an unsuccessful communication attempt to the at least one virtualized network function to be de-instantiated,

wherein the indication related to the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network element comprises an instruction for conducting a detach procedure, and

wherein the instruction is a bulk instruction for conducting a detach procedure for all communication elements being currently registered for the at least one virtualized network element to be de-instantiated.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the instruction for conducting the detach procedure comprises a specific cause indication for a withdrawal of a subscription with regard to the at least one virtualized network element to be de-instantiated.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein

the indication related to the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network element comprises an identification information indicating that the at least one virtualized network element to be de-instantiated is de-instantiated and not available anymore.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising

causing transmission of the identification information to at least one of the 3GPP application network function of the communication network which potentially contacts the at least one virtualized network element to be de-instantiated.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein

the method is executed by one of

a communication network control element or communication network control function acting as a global orchestrator for implementing virtualized network functions,

a virtualized network function to be de-instantiated, and

an operation and maintenance element of the communication network,

wherein the virtualized network function to be de-instantiated is related to a communication network control function of the communication network.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein

the prepared indication is caused to be sent to at least one of a communication element comprising a terminal device or user equipment capable of communicating in the communication network, a network element or network function of a radio access network part of the communication network, a network element or network function of a core network part of the communication network, and a database to which network elements or network functions of the communication network have access, wherein the database is comprised in at least one of a centralized database of the communication network and a local database comprised in one or more of the network elements or network functions of the communication network.

13. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer-readable medium comprising software code which, when executed on a processor, controls the processor to perform:

determining that at least one virtualized network function providing services related to a communication network is to be de-instantiated;

preparing an indication related to the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network function; and

causing transmission of the prepared indication to at least one of a plurality of 3^rd Generation Partner Project (3GPP) application network functions of the communication network and a database to which the at least one of the plurality of 3GPP application network functions of the communication network have access,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of 3GPP application network functions of the communication network and the database to which the at least one of the plurality of 3GPP application network functions of the communication network have access

a) is a party in the communication network being different to the at least one virtualized network function to be de-instantiated,

b) continues a communication in the communication network after the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network function, and

c) is configured to use the prepared indication to avoid an unsuccessful communication attempt to the at least one virtualized network function to be de-instantiated,

wherein the indication related to the de-instantiation of the at least one virtualized network element comprises an instruction for conducting a detach procedure, and

wherein the instruction is a bulk instruction for conducting a detach procedure for all communication elements being currently registered for the at least one virtualized network element to be de-instantiated.