System and Method for Virtual Network Function Policy Management

• US 20150381423A1
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xiang, Zhixian
• Application Number:
  US14/751,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20150381423A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

In a described embodiment of the disclosure, a method is described including a network function virtualization (NFV) manager obtaining a plurality of policies for managing a plurality of virtual network function (VNF) instances on a computing platform. The NFV manager also defines at least one VNF instance operating on the computing platform. The at least one VNF instance has a definition comprising a policy indication indicating acceptance, modification, or rejection of at least one of the plurality of policies managed by the NFV manager.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a network function virtualization (NFV) manager obtaining a plurality of policies for managing a plurality of virtual network function (VNF) instances on a computing platform; and

the NFV manager defining at least one VNF instance operating on the computing platform, wherein the at least one VNF instance has a definition comprising a policy indication indicating acceptance, modification, or rejection of at least one of the plurality of policies managed by the NFV manager.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one VNF instance includes a plurality of policies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one VNF instance includes a plurality of policies and corresponding policy indications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy indication indicates a source of a particular policy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy indication indicates that the at least one VNF instance supports a policy provided by the NVF manager.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy indication indicates that the at least one VNF instance will not require a policy provided by the NFV manager.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy indication indicates a policy priority between a VNF-provided policy and a NFV manager-provided policy if the VNF-provided policy and the NFV manager-provided policy are overlapping, and wherein the VNF manager follows the policy priority to apply a corresponding policy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if the policy indication indicates rejection or acceptance of one, multiple, or all of the policies which are provided by the NFV manager, a VNF policy provided with a VNF descriptor is implemented.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy indication indicates modification of at least one of the plurality of policies.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein if the policy indication indicates modification of the policies, a VNF descriptor includes an indication of which VNF manager policies are accepted.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the at least one VNF instance to determine if the capabilities of the at least one VNF instance have been updated; and

if the at least one VNF instance has been updated, determining if the NFV manager or the at least one VNF instance determines the at least one of the plurality of policies based on the policy indication.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the NFV manager implements one or more of NFV management functions or NFV orchestrator functions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy indication can be configured through a management interface between the at least one VNF instance and NFV management functions.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy indication includes a sub-leaf structure for the at least one of the plurality of policies.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy indication includes a sub-leaf structure for the at least one of the plurality of policies and wherein the sub-leaf structure indicates whether the at least one of the plurality of policies is an upgrade policy that will be delivered from the NFV manager.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of policies includes subscriber policies.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of policies includes network management policies.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one VNF instance comprises a voice mail transcription module.

19. An NFV manager comprising:

a processor; and

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

obtain a plurality of policies for managing a plurality of virtual network function (VNF) instances on a computing platform; and

define at least one VNF instance operating on the computing platform, wherein the VNF instance has a definition comprising a policy indication indicating acceptance, modification, or rejection of at least one of the plurality of policies managed by the NFV manager.

20. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the at least one VNF instance includes a plurality of policies.

21. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the at least one VNF instance includes a plurality of policies and corresponding policy indications.

22. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the policy indication indicates a source of a particular policy.

23. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the policy indication indicates that the at least one VNF instance supports a policy provided by the NVF manager.

24. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the policy indication indicates that the at least one VNF instance will not require a policy provided by the NFV manager.

25. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the policy indication indicates a policy priority between a VNF-provided policy and an NFV manager-provided policy if the VNF-provided policy and the NFV manager-provided policy are overlapping, and wherein the VNF manager follows the policy priority to apply a corresponding policy.

26. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein if the policy indication indicates rejection or acceptance of one, multiple, or all of the policies which are provided by the NFV manager, a VNF policy provided with a VNF descriptor is implemented.

27. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the policy indication indicates modification of at least one of the plurality of policies.

28. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein if the policy indication indicates modification of the policies, a VNF descriptor includes an indication of which VNF manager policies are accepted.

29. The NFV manager of claim 19, further comprising instructions to:

monitor the at least one VNF instance to determine if the capabilities of the at least one VNF instance have been updated; and

if the at least one VNF instance has been updated, determine if the NFV manager or the at least one VNF instance determines the at least one of the plurality of policies based on the policy indication.

30. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the NFV manager implements one or more of NFV management functions or NFV orchestrator functions.

31. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the policy indication can be configured through a management interface between the at least one VNF instance and NFV management functions.

32. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the policy indication includes a sub-leaf structure for the at least one of the plurality of policies.

33. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the policy indication includes a sub-leaf structure for the at least one of the plurality of policies and wherein the sub-leaf structure indicates whether the at least one of the plurality of policies is an upgrade policy that will be delivered from the NFV manager.

34. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the plurality of policies includes subscriber policies.

35. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the plurality of policies includes network management policies.

36. The NFV manager of claim 19, wherein the at least one VNF instance comprises a voice mail transcription module.