System and Method for Mobile Network Function Virtualization

• US 20150063166A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tian, Hongbo, Han, Houxiao, Sif, Mehdi, Ramchandran, Prakash, Li, Honglin, Huang, Mark X., Sunavala, Farhad, Davis, Galen Kim
• Granted Patent: US 10,033,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45575 Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for mobile network function virtualization (MNFV) includes creating an evolved packet core (EPC) cluster and associating a sub-network with the EPC cluster. The method also includes booting a virtual machine (VM) and attaching the VM to the EPC.

Claims

1. A method for mobile network function virtualization (MNFV), the method comprising:

creating an evolved packet core (EPC) cluster;

associating a sub-network with the EPC cluster;

booting a virtual machine (VM); and

attaching the VM to the EPC.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deleting the VM; and

deleting the EPC cluster.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching the VM to the EPC comprises contacting a cloud management system (CMS).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a port of the VM.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

creating a network interface controller (NIC); and

attaching the NIC to the port.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising deleting the port.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining an internet protocol (IP) address of the port.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing geographical partitioning of resources.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein performing geographic partitioning comprises:

creating a global zone;

associating a site with the global zone;

creating a local zone;

associating the local zone with the global zone;

associating the local zone with the site; and

performing subscriber provisioning in accordance with the global zone, the local zone, and the site.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the EPC cluster comprises creating the EPC cluster by an application program interface (API).

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting policy control and rules for a user plane to an operation support system (OSS).

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a database of authentication information.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising testing the EPC cluster.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a plug-in request to an element management system (EMS).

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an access point name (APN) for a site.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a create topology message to a compute module.

17. A method for mobile network function virtualization (MNFV), the method comprising:

transmitting, by a controller to an element management system (EMS), an EMS call;

transmitting, by the controller to a cloud management system (CMS), a CMS call after transmitting the EMS call;

receiving, by the controller from the EMS, an EMS response in accordance with the EMS call; and

receiving, by the controller from the CMS, a CMS response in accordance with the CMS call.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving, by the controller from a dashboard, a QuantumLeap request before transmitting the EMS call.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting, by the controller to the dashboard, a QuantumLeap response after receiving the CMS response and receiving the EMS call.

20. A computer comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to

create an evolved packet core (EPC) cluster,

associate a sub-network with the EPC cluster,

boot a virtual machine (VM), and

attach the VM to the EPC.