System, method, and computer program for resource conversion in a network function virtualization (NFV) based communication network

• US 9,794,187 B1
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Software Systems Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Software Systems Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Inventors: Felstaine, Eyal, Hermoni, Ofer, Sandlerman, Nimrod
• Primary Examiner(s): Eskandarnia, Arvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Thao
• Application Number:
  US14/572,735
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in 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 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for resource conversion in network function virtualization based networks. In use, a first resource of a first type is identified in a first hardware unit, the first resource at least potentially having insufficient availability and being associated with a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network. Additionally, a second resource of a second type is identified, the second resource being associated with the first hardware unit, the second resource being identified as sufficiently available. Further, a third resource of the first type is identified, the third resource being associated with a second hardware unit, the second hardware unit being associated with the second resource, the third resource being identified as sufficiently available.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a computer system, that a first processing power in a first hardware unit is being used by a first virtual network function (VNF) instance of a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network and that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet a required processing power of the first VNF instance;

in response to the determination that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet the required processing power of the first VNF instance, locating, by the computer system, a first communication link that exists between the first hardware unit and a second hardware unit and that has a surplus bandwidth capacity;

determining, by the computer system, that a second processing power of the second hardware unit has a surplus capacity;

determining, by the computer system, that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power to resolve the first hardware unit not meeting the required processing power of the first VNF instance;

in response to determining that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power, identifying, by the computer system, a second VNF instance operating in the second hardware unit that is consuming a bandwidth capacity of a second communication link of the second hardware unit;

determining, by the computer system, that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit;

determining, by the computer system, that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link;

in response to determining that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit and that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link, migrating, by the computer system, the second VNF instance to the first hardware unit and then migrating the first VNF instance to the second hardware unit, such that after the migration of the second VNF instance the second VNF instance consumes the bandwidth capacity of the first communication link and after the migration of the first VNF instance, the first VNF instance consumes the second processing power of the second hardware unit.

2. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

computer code for determining, by a computer system, that a first processing power in a first hardware unit is being used by a first virtual network function (VNF) instance of a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network and that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet a required processing power of the first VNF instance;

computer code for, in response to the determination that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet the required processing power of the first VNF instance, locating, by the computer system, a first communication link that exists between the first hardware unit and a second hardware unit and that has a surplus bandwidth capacity;

computer code for determining, by the computer system, that a second processing power of the second hardware unit has a surplus capacity;

computer code for determining, by the computer system, that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power to resolve the first hardware unit not meeting the required processing power of the first VNF instance;

computer code for, in response to determining that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power, identifying, by the computer system, a second VNF instance operating in the second hardware unit that is consuming a bandwidth capacity of a second communication link of the second hardware unit;

computer code for determining, by the computer system, that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit;

determining, by the computer system, that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link;

computer code for, in response to determining that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit and that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link, migrating, by the computer system, the second VNF instance to the first hardware unit and then migrating the first VNF instance to the second hardware unit, such that after the migration of the second VNF instance the second VNF instance consumes the bandwidth capacity of the first communication link and after the migration of the first VNF instance, the first VNF instance consumes the second processing power of the second hardware unit.

3. A system comprising:

a memory system; and

one or more processing cores coupled to the memory system and that are each configured to;

determine that a first processing power in a first hardware unit is being used by a first virtual network function (VNF) instance of a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network and that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet a required processing power of the first VNF instance;

in response to the determination that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet the required processing power of the first VNF instance, locate a first communication link that exists between the first hardware unit and a second hardware unit and that has a surplus bandwidth capacity;

determine that a second processing power of the second hardware unit has a surplus capacity;

determine that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power to resolve the first hardware unit not meeting the required processing power of the first VNF instance;

in response to determining that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power, identify a second VNF instance operating in the second hardware unit that is consuming a bandwidth capacity of a second communication link of the second hardware unit;

determine that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit;

determine that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link;

in response to determining that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit and that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link, migrate the second VNF instance to the first hardware unit and then migrating the first VNF instance to the second hardware unit, such that after the migration of the second VNF instance the second VNF instance consumes the bandwidth capacity of the first communication link and after the migration of the first VNF instance, the first VNF instance consumes the second processing power of the second hardware unit.