Management of network entity selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016308715-A1
Application number	US-201315101992-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 6, 2013
Priority date	Dec 6, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are provided by which, in an apparatus for setting up and maintaining network functions, identities of first type network functions and second type network functions are stored, wherein the first type of virtual network functions are configured to select one or more of the second type network functions, and, for each first type network function, information regarding second type network functions which are selectable by the corresponding first type network function based on information regarding physical conditions of the first type network functions and the second type of virtual network functions are maintained.

First claim

1 . An apparatus comprising
a memory and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to set up and maintain network functions, and the memory is configured to store identities of first type network functions and second type network functions, wherein the first type of virtual network functions are configured to select one or more of the second type network functions, and the processor is configured to maintain, in the memory, for each first type network function, information regarding second type network functions, which are selectable by the corresponding first type network function, based on information regarding physical conditions of the first type network functions and the second type of virtual network functions.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a physical condition of the first or second type network function includes
a physical location where the first or second type network function is established, or a hardware connection condition at the physical location.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the physical condition of the first or second type network function includes a physical location where the first or second type network function is established, and
the processor is configured to maintain the information regarding the second type by maintaining only those second type network functions which are established on the same physical location.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information regarding the second type network functions provided for each first type network function comprises a physical connection related parameter, which indicates condition or quality of a physical connection between the physical location of the first type network function and the physical location of a corresponding second type network function.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the physical connection related parameter indicates a classification of the physical connection or proximity between the physical location of the first type network function and the physical location of the corresponding second type network function.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the physical connection related parameter depends on the physical location where the corresponding network function is established.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to
perform configuration of addresses or identities of the second type functions with the physical connection related parameter to the first type network function.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to
perform configuration of addresses or identities of the second type network functions with different priorities for different physical conditions.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the configuration via a network management interface defined between the apparatus and the first type network function.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to detect changes of the physical condition of the second type network function and to manage the information regarding the second type network function.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the physical location includes a physical entity, physical environment or a physical machine

12 . An apparatus comprising
a memory and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to operate a first type network function, to receive information regarding second type network functions which are selectable based on information regarding physical conditions of the apparatus and the second type of virtual network functions, and to select a second type network function based on the received information.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein a physical condition of the apparatus and the second type network function includes
a physical location where the first or second type network function is established, or or hardware connection condition at the physical location.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the information regarding the second type network functions comprises a physical connection related parameter, which indicates condition or quality of a physical connection between the physical location of the apparatus and the physical location of a corresponding second type network function.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to
receive configuration information including addresses or identities of the second type virtual functions with the physical connection related parameter.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to receive the configuration information via a network management interface defined between the apparatus and a network functions virtualization orchestrator.

17 . A method comprising
setting up and maintaining network functions, storing identities of first type network functions and second type network functions, wherein the first type of virtual network functions are configured to select one or more of the second type network functions, and maintaining, for each first type network function, information regarding second type network functions which are selectable by the corresponding first type network function based on information regarding physical conditions of the first type network functions and the second type of virtual network functions.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein a physical condition of the first or second type network function includes
a physical location where the first or second type network function is established, or a hardware connection condition at the physical location.

19 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the physical condition of the first or second type network function includes a physical location where the first or second type network function is established, and the method further comprises
maintaining the information regarding the second type by maintaining only those second type network functions which are established on the same physical location.

20 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein
the information regarding second type network functions provided for each first type network function comprises a physical connection related parameter, which indicates condition or quality of a physical connection between the physical location of the first type network function and the physical location of a corresponding second type network function.

21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the physical connection related parameter indicates a classification of the physical connection or proximity between the physical location of the first type network function and the physical location of the corresponding second type network function.

22 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the physical connection related parameter depends on the physical location where the corresponding network function is established.

23 . The method according to claim 20 , further comprising
performing configuration of addresses or identities of the second type functions with the physical connection related parameter to the first type network function.

24 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising
performing configuration of addresses or identities of the second type network functions with diffe

Assignees

• Nokia Solutions & Networks Oy

Inventors

• Rasanen Juha Antero

Classifications

• H04W4/025

  using location based information parameters · CPC title

• H04W28/16

  Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service] · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04L41/0803

  Configuration setting · CPC title