SERVICE PROVISION FOR OFFERING NETWORK SLICES TO A CUSTOMER

• US 20180316564A1
• Filed: 04/20/2018
• Published: 11/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: SENARATH, Nimal Gamini
• Granted Patent: US 11,050,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5006 Creating or negotiating SLA contracts, guarantees or penalties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5077 wherein the managed service relates to simple transport services, i.e. providing only network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A system for managing a network comprising at least one network slice instance including at least one network slice subnet instance. The system comprises a network slice management function associated with each network slice instance, the network slice management function configured to expose one or more management functions to a customer such that the customer can effect limited management of its associated network slice instance; and a network slice subnet management function associated with each network slice subnet instance, the network slice management function configured to expose one or more management functions to a customer such that the customer can effect limited management of its associated network slice subnet instance.

Claims

1. A system for managing a network, the system comprising:

a network slice subnet management function associated with a network slice subnet instance, the network slice subnet management function configured to manage operation of the network slice subnet instance;

a network slice management function associated with a network slice instance that includes the network slice subnet instance, the network slice management function configured to;

manage operation of the network slice instance, and interact with the network slice subnet management function to manage operation of the network slice subnet instance; and

a management exposure function operatively connected to the network slice management function, the management exposure function configured to expose, to a customer, a first slice specific management function pertaining to the network slice instance such that the customer can implement management of the network slice instance in accordance with the first slice specific management function.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network slice instance comprises network resources of a first network operator, and the network slice subnet instance comprises network resources of a second network operator different than the first network operator.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network slice instance comprises network resources of a first network domain, and the network slice subnet instance comprises network resources of a second network domain different than the first network domain.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a communication service management function configured to interact with the customer to define a service level agreement, and configured to interact with at least the network slice management function to allocate resources to the network slice instance in accordance with the service level agreement.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the network slice management function is further configured to interact with the network slice subnet management function to allocate resources to the network slice subnet instance in accordance with the service level agreement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first slice specific management function is a function of the network slice management function.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the management exposure function is configured to expose the first slice specific management function to the customer by any one or more of:

an Application Programming Interface (API) to the customer, the API configured to enable the customer to interact with the first slice specific management function;

enabling the customer to subscribe to a management service of the network slice management function corresponding to the first slice specific management function.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the management exposure function is further configured to expose, to the customer, a second slice specific management function pertaining to the network slice subnet instance, such that the customer can implement management of the network slice subnet instance in accordance with the second slice specific management function.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second slice specific management function is a function of the network slice subnet management function.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the management exposure function is configured to expose the second slice specific management function to the customer by any one or more of:

providing an Application Programming Interface (API) to the customer, the API configured to enable the customer to interact with the second slice specific management function;

enabling the customer to subscribe to a management service of the network slice subnet management function corresponding to the second slice specific management function.

11. A method of providing a service instance to a customer, the method comprising:

negotiating, by interaction between the customer and a Communication Service Management Function (CSMF) of a Communication Service Provider, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) defining terms of a communication service instance;

requesting, by the CSMF, network resources to satisfy the SLA from a Network Slice Management Function (NSMF);

receiving, by the CSMF, a network slice instance (NSI) service from the NSMF, the NSI service including the requested network resources; and

implementing, by the CSMF, the service instance using the received NSI service.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein negotiating the SLA comprises receiving, by the CSMF, any one or more of:

user population or demand requirements;

service requirements for one or more applications;

network KPI for aggregate customer requirements;

charging, authorization and security related requirements;

whether or not the service needs an exclusive network slice instance; and

exposure levels required.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein negotiating the SLA comprises:

requesting, by the CSMF, a feasibility of providing the network resources to satisfy the SLA from the NSMF; and

receiving, by the CSMF, an indication from the NSMF of the feasibility of providing the network resources to satisfy the SLA.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein requesting, by the CSMF, a feasibility of providing the network resources comprises sending, to the NSMF, any one or more of:

network function chains;

network topology with specific resource requirements;

network function related requirements;

service requirements for the slice;

charging, authorization and security related requirements;

whether or not the service needs an exclusive NSI, NSSIs or network functions; and

exposure levels required.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, at least partially in response to the request from the CSMF, implementing, by the NSMF, the network slice instance (NSI) service configured to support the requested network resources.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein implementing the NSI service comprises:

negotiating, by interaction between the NSMF and a Network Slice Subnet Management Function (NSSMF), an allocation of network slice subnet resources to support the NSI service;

requesting, by the NSMF, the negotiated allocation of network slice subnet resources from the Network Slice Subnet Management Function (NSSMF);

receiving, by the NSMF, a network slice subnet instance (NSSI) service from the NSSMF, the NSSI service including the requested allocation of network slice subnet resources; and

implementing, by the NSMF, the NSI service using the received NSSI service.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein negotiating the allocation of network slice subnet resources comprises:

requesting, by the NSMF, a feasibility of providing the allocation of network slice subnet resources from the NSSMF; and

receiving, by the NSMF, an indication from the NSSMF of the feasibility of providing the allocation of network slice subnet resources.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein requesting, by the NSMF, a feasibility of providing the allocation of network slice subnet resources sending, to the NSSMF, any one or more of:

network function chains;

network topology with specific resource requirements;

network function related requirements;

service requirements for the slice;

charging, authorization and security related requirements;

whether or not the service needs an exclusive NSI, NSSIs or network functions; and

exposure levels required.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising, at least partially in response to the request from the NSMF, implementing, by the NSSMF the network slice subnet instance (NSSI) service including the requested allocation of network slice subnet resources.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein implementing the NSSI service comprises:

negotiating, by interaction between the NSSMF and one or more management functions of a communications network, an allocation of network function resources to support the NSSI service;

requesting, by the NSSMF, the negotiated allocation of network function resources from the one or more management functions;

receiving, by the NSSMF, respective network function resource services from the one or more management functions, the network function resource services including the requested allocation of network function resources; and

implementing, by the NSSMF, the NSSI service using the received network function resource services.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein negotiating the allocation of network function resources comprises:

requesting, by the NSSMF, a feasibility of providing the allocation of network function resources from the one or more management functions; and

receiving, by the NSSMF, respective indications from the one or more management functions of the feasibility of providing the allocation of network function resources.

22. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

exposing to the customer, by a Management Exposure Function (MEF) of the Communication Service Provider, a management function pertaining to the service instance such that the customer can implement management of the service instance in accordance with the management function.

23. A method of providing a service instance to a customer, the method comprising:

negotiating, by interaction between a customer, a Service Negotiation Function (SNF) of a Communication Service Provider, and a Network Slice Management Function (NSMF), a Service Level Agreement (SLA) defining terms of a service instance;

requesting, by the NSMF, network slice subnet resources to satisfy the SLA from a Network Slice Subnet Management Function (NSSMF);

receiving, by the NSMF, a network slice subnet instance (NSSI) service from the NSSMF, the NSSI service including the requested network slice subnet resources; and

implementing, by the NSMF, the service instance using the received NSSI service.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

exposing to the customer, by a Management Exposure Function (MEF) of the Communication Service Provider, a management function pertaining to the service instance such that the customer can implement management of the service instance in accordance with the management function.