APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING VIRTUAL MACHINE IN MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20140115583A1
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jin-Ho, LEE, Ji-Cheol
• Granted Patent: US 9,804,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for managing a Virtual Machine (VM) in a mobile communication system. Upon receiving a VM provisioning request message from a 3^rd party entity, an Edge Cloud-Radio Access Network (EC-RAN) VM control command message, indicating that the Edge Cloud Management Controller (ECMC) commands a VM provisioning, is transmitted to an Edge Cloud Manager (ECM). An EC-RAN VM control command Ack message is received, including information indicating whether a VM host, which the EC-RAN VM control command message targets, accepts or rejects the EC-RAN VM control command message, and including a VM instance ID allocated to the VM host. A VM instance corresponding to the VM instance ID is registered and a status of the VM instance is set as an allocation status, after the EC-RAN VM control command Ack message is received from the ECM.

Claims

1. A method for managing a Virtual Machine (VM) by an Edge Cloud Management Controller (ECMC) in a mobile communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

upon receiving a VM provisioning request message from a 3^rd party entity, transmitting a first Edge Cloud-Radio Access Network (EC-RAN) VM control command message indicating that the ECMC commands a VM provisioning to an Edge Cloud Manager (ECM);

receiving a first EC-RAN VM control command Ack message comprising information indicating whether a VM host, which the first EC-RAN VM control command message targets, accepts or rejects the first EC-RAN VM control command message, and comprising a VM instance Identifier (ID) allocated to the VM host, as a response message to the first EC-RAN VM control command message, from the ECM; and

registering a VM instance corresponding to the VM instance ID and setting a status of the VM instance as an allocation status, after receiving the first EC-RAN VM control command Ack message from the ECM.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying completion of the VM provisioning to the 3^rd party entity.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second EC-RAN VM control command message comprising the VM instance ID, an EC-RAN ID, and a start code to the ECM;

receiving a second EC-RAN VM control command Ack message indicating that the VM instance has started from the ECM; and

changing the status of the VM instance.

4. A method for managing a Virtual Machine (VM) by an Edge Cloud Manager (ECM) in a mobile communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first Edge Cloud-Radio Access Network (EC-RAN) control command message indicating that an Edge Cloud Management Controller (ECMC) commands a VM provisioning according to a reception of a VM provisioning request message from a 3^rd party entity, from the ECMC; and

transmitting, to the ECMC, a first EC-RAN VM control command Ack message comprising information indicating that a VM host, which the first EC-RAN VM control command message targets, accepts or rejects the first EC-RAN VM control command message, and comprising a VM instance Identifier (ID) allocated to the VM host, as a response message to the first EC-RAN VM control command message, thereby the ECMC registers a VM instance corresponding to the VM instance ID and sets a status of the VM instance to an allocation status.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

selecting the VM host after receiving the EC-RAN VM control command message from the ECMC; and

transmitting an ECM command message, which commands a VM preparation operation, to the VM host, thereby the VM host performs a preparation operation for starting the VM instance.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a second EC-RAN VM control command message including the VM instance ID, an EC-RAN ID, and a start code; and

transmitting a second EC-RAN VM control command Ack message, indicating that the VM instance has started, to the ECMC, thereby the ECMC changes the status of the VM instance.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting, to the VM host, an ECM command message indicating that the ECM commands to start the VM instance, after receiving the EC-RAN VM control command message from the ECMC; and

receiving an ECM command Ack message as a response message to the ECM command message from the VM host.

8. A method for managing a Virtual Machine (VM) by a VM host in a mobile communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first Edge Cloud Manager (ECM) command message, which commands a VM preparation operation, from an ECM;

performing a preparation operation for starting a VM instance, after receiving the first ECM command message; and

transmitting a first ECM command Ack message, as a response message to the first ECM command message, to the ECM, after performing the preparation operation for starting the VM instance.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second ECM command message, which the ECM transmits according to a reception of an Edge Cloud-Radio Access Network (EC-RAN) VM control command message, which comprises a VM instance Identifier (ID), an EC-RAN ID, and a start code, from an Edge Cloud Management Controller (ECMC);

starting the VM instance after receiving the second ECM command message; and

transmitting a second EMC command Ack message, as a response message to the second ECM command message, to the ECM.

10. An Edge Cloud Management Controller (ECMC) in a mobile communication system, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first Edge Cloud-Radio Access Network (EC-RAN) Virtual Machine (VM) control command message indicating that the ECMC commands a VM provisioning to an Edge Cloud Manager (ECM) upon receiving a VM provisioning request message from a 3^rd party entity;

a receiver for receiving a first EC-RAN VM control command Ack message comprising information indicating whether a VM host, which the first EC-RAN VM control command message targets, accepts or rejects the first EC-RAN VM control command message, and comprising a VM instance Identifier (ID) allocated to the VM host, as a response message to the first EC-RAN VM control command message, from the ECM; and

a controller for registering a VM instance corresponding to the VM instance ID and setting a status of the VM host instance as an allocation status, after receiving the first EC-RAN VM control command Ack message from the ECM.

11. The ECMC of claim 10, further comprising:

an output unit for displaying completion of the VM provisioning to the 3^rd party entity.

12. The ECMC of claim 10, wherein the transmitter transmits a second EC-RAN VM control command message comprising the VM instance ID, an EC-RAN ID, and a start code to the ECM,

wherein the receiver receives a second EC-RAN VM control command Ack message indicating that the VM instance has started from the ECM, and

wherein the controller changes the status of the VM instance.

13. An Edge Cloud Manager (ECM) in a mobile communication system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a first Edge Cloud-Radio Access Network (EC-RAN) control command message indicating that an Edge Cloud Management Controller (ECMC) commands a Virtual Machine (VM) provisioning according to a reception of a VM provisioning request message from a 3^rd party entity from the ECMC; and

a transmitter for transmitting, to the ECMC, a first EC-RAN VM control command Ack message comprising information indicating that a VM host, which the first EC-RAN VM control command message targets, accepts or rejects the first EC-RAN VM control command message, and comprising a VM instance Identifier (ID) allocated to the VM host, as a response message to the first EC-RAN VM control command message, thereby the ECMC registers a VM instance corresponding to the VM instance ID and sets a status of the VM instance to an allocation status.

14. The ECM of claim 13, further comprising:

a controller for selecting the VM host after receiving the EC-RAN VM control command message from the ECMC,

wherein the transmitter transmits an ECM command message, which commands a VM preparation operation, to the VM host, thereby the VM host performs a preparation operation for starting the VM instance.

15. The ECM of claim 13, wherein the receiver receives a second EC-RAN VM control command message including the VM instance ID, an EC-RAN ID, and a start code, and

wherein the transmitter transmits an EC-RAN VM control command Ack message, indicating that the VM instance has started to the ECMC, thereby the ECMC changes the status of the VM instance.

16. The ECM of claim 15, wherein the transmitter transmits, to the VM host, an ECM command message indicating that the ECM commands to start the VM instance, after receiving the EC-RAN VM control command message from the ECMC, and

wherein the receiver receives an ECM command Ack message as a response message to the ECM command message from the VM host.

17. A Virtual Machine (VM) host in a mobile communication system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a first Edge Cloud Manager (ECM) command message, which commands a VM preparation operation from an ECM;

a controller for performing a preparation operation for starting a VM instance, after receiving the first ECM command message; and

a transmitter for transmitting a first ECM command Ack message, as a response message to the first ECM command message, to the ECM, after performing the preparation operation for starting the VM instance.

18. The VM host of claim 17, wherein the receiver receives a second ECM command message, which the ECM transmits according to a reception of an Edge Cloud-Radio Access Network (EC-RAN) VM control command message, which comprises a VM instance Identifier (ID), an EC-RAN ID, and a start code, from an Edge Cloud Management Controller (ECMC),

wherein the controller starts the VM instance after receiving the second ECM command message, and

wherein the transmitter transmits a second EMC command Ack message, as a response message to the second ECM command message, to the ECM.