Network virtualization system, virtual resource management device, virtual resource management method and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11855857-B2
Application number	US-202018013750-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2020
Priority date	Jul 3, 2020
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

Upon receiving a virtual network function (VNF) creation request including location information, a VNF manager (VNFM) of a network virtualization system transmits the VNF creation request to a VNF orchestrator (NFVO). Using the location information included in the VNF creation request, the NFVO extracts a virtual infrastructure manager (VIM) that satisfies the requirement of the location information with reference to the VIM information, and selects, from among the extracted VIMs, the VIM that satisfies a creation requirement other than the location information with reference to physical device/virtual resource information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A network virtualization system that creates a virtual network function (VNF) on a virtual resource,
the network virtualization system comprising: an NFV infrastructure (NFVI) that provides a virtual infrastructure by allocating the virtual resource on a plurality of physical devices; a virtualized infrastructure manager (VIM) that controls the physical device and the virtual resource of the NFVI; an NFV orchestrator (NFVO) that selects a VIM that controls an NFVI that deploys a virtual resource that creates the VNF, from among a plurality of sets of the NFVI and the VIM deployed at any same position; and a VNF manager (VNFM) that requests a selected VIM to allocate the virtual resource, wherein
the VNFM includes
a VNF information management unit, including one or more processors, configured to, upon receiving a VNF creation request including location information in a creation requirement of the VNF, transmit the VNF creation request to the NFVO, and
the NFVO includes:
a storage medium configured to store VIM information in which setting information regarding a VIM including location information regarding a deployment position of the VIM itself is stored and physical device/virtual resource information in which state information of the physical device and the virtual resource of each NFVI is stored; and
a VIM selection unit, including one or more processors, configured to, by using the location information included in the VNF creation request, extract a VIM that satisfies a requirement of the location information with reference to the VIM information, and select, from among the extracted VIMs, a VIM that satisfies a creation requirement other than the location information with reference to the physical device/virtual resource information.

2. A virtual resource management device of a network virtualization system that creates a VNF on a virtual resource, wherein
the network virtualization system includes: a NFVI that provides a virtual infrastructure by allocating the virtual resource on a plurality of physical devices; a VIM that controls the physical device and the virtual resource of the NFVI; the virtual resource management device as an NFVO that selects a VIM that controls an NFVI that deploys a virtual resource that creates the VNF, from among a plurality of sets of the NFVI and the VIM deployed at any same position; and a VNFM that requests a selected VIM to allocate the virtual resource, and
the virtual resource management device includes:
a storage medium configured to store VIM information in which setting information regarding a VIM including location information regarding a deployment position of the VIM itself is stored and physical device/virtual resource information in which state information of the physical device and the virtual resource of each NFVI is stored; and
a VIM selection unit, including one or more processors, configured to, upon acquiring a VNF creation request including location information in a creation requirement of the VNF, extract a VIM that satisfies a requirement of the location information with reference to the VIM information, and select, from among the extracted VIMs, a VIM that satisfies a creation requirement other than the location information with reference to the physical device/virtual resource information.

3. The virtual resource management device according to claim 2 , wherein
the location information is identification information indicating an area where a set of the NFVI and the VIM is deployed, and
the VIM selection unit is configured to extract a VIM located in a same area as an area indicated by location information included in the VNF creation request with reference to the VIM information.

4. The virtual resource management device according to claim 2 , wherein
the location information is information indicating latitude/longitude where a set of the NFVI and the VIM is deployed, and
the VIM selection unit is configured to extract a VIM located within a predetermined distance from a position indicated by latitude/longitude that is location information included in the VNF creation request with reference to the VIM information.

5. The virtual resource management device according to claim 2 , wherein
the location information is weight information indicating a distance between a reference VIM and each VIM itself, and
the VIM selection unit is configured to extract a VIM in which a value within a value indicated by weight information that is location information included in the VNF creation request is set with reference to the VIM information.

6. A virtual resource management method by a virtual resource management device of a network virtualization system that creates a VNF on a virtual resource, wherein
the network virtualization system includes: a NFVI that provides a virtual infrastructure by allocating the virtual resource on a plurality of physical devices; a VIM that controls the physical device and the virtual resource of the NFVI; the virtual resource management device as an NFVO that selects a VIM that controls an NFVI that deploys a virtual resource that creates the VNF, from among a plurality of sets of the NFVI and the VIM deployed at any same position; and a VNFM that requests a selected VIM to allocate the virtual resource,
the virtual resource management device includes
a storage medium configured to store VIM information in which setting information regarding a VIM including location information regarding a deployment position of the VIM itself is stored and physical device/virtual resource information in which state information of the physical device and the virtual resource of each NFVI is stored, and
the virtual resource management method executes:
acquiring a VNF creation request including location information in a creation requirement of the VNF; and
extracting a VIM that satisfies a requirement of the location information with reference to the VIM information and selecting, from among the extracted VIMs, a VIM that satisfies a creation requirement other than the location information with reference to the physical device/virtual resource information.

7. The virtual resource management method according to claim 6 , wherein
the location information is identification information indicating an area where a set of the NFVI and the VIM is deployed, and
the virtual resource management method comprises:
extracting a VIM located in a same area as an area indicated by location information included in the VNF creation request with reference to the VIM information.

8. The virtual resource management method according to claim 6 , wherein
the location information is information indicating latitude/longitude where a set of the NFVI and the VIM is deployed, and
the virtual resource management method comprises:
extracting a VIM located within a predetermined distance from a position indicated by latitude/longitude that is location information included in the VNF creation request with reference to the VIM information.

9. The virtual resource management method according to claim 6 , wherein
the location information is weight information indicating a distance between a reference VIM and each VIM itself, and
the virtual resource management method comprises:
extracting a VIM in which a value within a value indicated by weight information that is location information included in the VNF creation request is set with reference to the VIM information.

Assignees

• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone

Inventors

• Kuriu Keiko
• Hara Daisuke

Classifications

• H04L41/40 Primary

  using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities · CPC title

• H04L41/5051

  Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time · CPC title

• G06F9/45558 Primary

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F2009/45587

  Isolation or security of virtual machine instances · CPC title

• G06F2009/45595

  Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances · CPC title