Virtual network function resource allocation and management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017237647-A1
Application number	US-201615046219-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 17, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A virtualized network function (VNF) provisioning system includes a plurality of computing device that are provided in a physical topology and that are coupled to a network. A management device is coupled to the computing device through the network. The management device receives VNF system information for a VNF system through the network. The VNF system includes a plurality of VNFs that are provided in a virtual topology. The management device then determines a plurality of physical groups from the physical topology that each identify at least one computing device. The management device then determines a plurality of virtual groups from the virtual topology based on a ratio of traffic that will leave each virtual group and a number of VNFs in each virtual group. The management device then provides the VNFs in a first virtual group on the at least one computing device in a first physical group.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A virtualized network function (VNF) provisioning system, comprising:
a plurality of computing device that are provided in a physical topology and that are coupled to a network; and a management device that is coupled to the plurality of computing device through the network, wherein the management device is configured to:
receive virtualized network function (VNF) system information for a VNF system through the network, wherein the VNF system includes a plurality of VNFs that are provided in a virtual topology;
determine a plurality of physical groups from the physical topology, wherein each physical group identifies at least one computing device of the plurality of computing devices;
determine a plurality of virtual groups from the virtual topology based on a ratio of traffic that will leave each virtual group and a number of VNFs in each virtual group; and
provide the VNFs in a first virtual group of the plurality of virtual groups on the at least one computing device in a first physical group of the plurality of physical groups.

2 . The VNF provisioning system of claim 1 , wherein the management device is configured to:
merge at least one of the VNFs in a second virtual group of the plurality of virtual groups with at least one of the VNFs in the first virtual group that is provided on the at least one computing device in the first physical group.

3 . The VNF provisioning system of claim 2 , wherein the management device is configured to:
identify the first virtual group and the second virtual group for merging based on the first virtual group and the second virtual group including the same number of VNFs, and the determination that the traffic between the first virtual group and the second virtual group is below a threshold.

4 . The VNF provisioning system of claim 1 , wherein the determining the plurality of virtual groups from the virtual topology includes determining the first virtual group and a second virtual group that exchange traffic via a single pair of VNFs.

5 . The VNF provisioning system of claim 1 , wherein the management device is configured to:
determine that a VNF in the first virtual group is no longer operating and, in response, update the plurality of physical groups and the plurality of virtual groups.

6 . The VNF provisioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first physical group identifies one of a single computing device of the plurality of computing devices and a subset of the plurality of computing devices that are provided in the same rack.

7 . The VNF provisioning system of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of traffic that will leave each virtual group and the number of VNFs in each virtual group provides a virtual group density for each of the plurality of virtual groups, and wherein the plurality of virtual groups are determined in response to having virtual group densities that are greater than a threshold.

8 . An information handling system (IHS), comprising:
a communication system and that is configured to couple to a plurality of computing systems; a processing system that is coupled to the communication system; and a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a virtualized network function (VNF) allocation engine that is configured to:
receive virtualized network function (VNF) system information for a VNF system, wherein the VNF system includes a plurality of VNFs that are provided in a virtual topology;
determine a plurality of physical groups from a physical topology of the plurality of computing devices, wherein each physical group identifies at least one computing device of the plurality of computing devices;
determine a plurality of virtual groups from the virtual topology based on a ratio of traffic that will leave each virtual group and a number of VNFs in each virtual group; and
provide the VNFs in a first virtual group of the plurality of virtual groups on the at least one computing device in a first physical group of the plurality of physical groups.

9 . The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the VNF allocation engine is configured to:
merge at least one of the VNFs in a second virtual group of the plurality of virtual groups with at least one of the VNFs in the first virtual group that is provided on the at least one computing device in the first physical group.

10 . The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the VNF allocation engine is configured to:
identify the first virtual group and the second virtual group for merging based on the first virtual group and the second virtual group including the same number of VNFs, and the determination that the traffic between the first virtual group and the second virtual group is below a threshold.

11 . The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the determining the plurality of virtual groups from the virtual topology includes determining the first virtual group and a second virtual group that exchange traffic via a single pair of VNFs.

12 . The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the VNF allocation engine is configured to:
determine that a VNF in the first virtual group is no longer operating and, in response, update the plurality of physical groups and the plurality of virtual groups.

13 . The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the ratio of traffic that will leave each virtual group and the number of VNFs in each virtual group provides a virtual group density for each of the plurality of virtual groups, and wherein the plurality of virtual groups are determined in response to having virtual group densities that are greater than a threshold.

14 . A method for provisioning virtualized network functions, comprising:
receiving, by a management device, virtualized network function (VNF) system information for a VNF system, wherein the VNF system includes a plurality of VNFs that are provided in a virtual topology; determining, by the management device, a plurality of physical groups from a physical topology of a plurality of computing devices, wherein each physical group identifies at least one computing device of the plurality of computing devices; determining, by the management device, a plurality of virtual groups from the virtual topology based on a ratio of traffic that will leave each virtual group and a number of VNFs in each virtual group; and providing, by the management device on the at least one computing device in a first physical group of the plurality of physical groups, the VNFs in a first virtual group of the plurality of virtual groups.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
merging, by the management device, at least one of the VNFs in a second virtual group of the plurality of virtual groups with at least one of the VNFs in the first virtual group that is provided on the at least one computing device in the first physical group.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
identifying, by the management device, the first virtual group and the second virtual group for merging based on the first virtual group and the second virtual group including the same number of VNFs, and the determination that the traffic between the first virtual group and the second virtual group is below a threshold.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining the plurality of virtual groups from the virtual topology includes determining the first virtual group and a second virtual group that exchange traffic via a single pair of VNFs.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining, by

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• N Safina Devi
• Venkataswami Balaji Venkat
• Chu Wenjing

Classifications

• H04L41/0893

  Assignment of logical groups to network elements · CPC title

• H04L43/16 Primary

  Threshold monitoring · CPC title

• G06F9/455

  Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines · CPC title

• H04L41/122

  of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV] · CPC title

• H04L41/0894

  Policy-based network configuration management · CPC title