Load and software configuration control among composite service function chains

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018225139-A1
Application number	US-201515750313-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2015
Priority date	Aug 3, 2015
Publication date	Aug 9, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method, an apparatus and a computer program product are related to service function chain management. Management functionality is directed to efficient controlling software configuration for service function chains and to adaptively invoke, reconfigure or stop virtual machines for load balancing purposes to cope with the dynamic life traffic.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A method for adaptive service function chain configuration, the method comprising:
executing a multitude of virtual machines on a given hardware device, and executing with a single instance of a virtual machine a complete service function chain, the service function chain containing a multitude of service functions; continuously measuring a processing load of each virtual machine that is executing a specific service function chain; and in case that the processing load of a given virtual machine exceeds a predefined load level, activating an additional virtual machine that is able to execute the specific service function chain to execute the specific service function chain; in case that the processing load of a given virtual machine underruns a predefined load level, transferring the work load of the specific service function chain of the given virtual machine to another virtual machine that is able to execute the service function chain, and deactivating the specific service function chain of the given virtual machine.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , which comprises using the given virtual machine whose service function chain execution has been deactivated to execute service functions of a virtual machine that exceeds a predefined load level.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein necessary software components to execute arbitrary service chain functionality are loaded into all virtual machines.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , which comprises using a service function chain resource manager to control an activation or deactivation of service function chains in the virtual machines.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein a subset of software components are loaded into a virtual machine and the loaded subset of software components is sufficient to execute one or a plurality of service chain functionalities.

21 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the service function chain of any instance of a virtual machine is configured according to a service function chain descriptor.

22 . The method according to claim 16 , which comprises using the virtual machine executing a service function chain itself for measuring the processing load or measuring the processing load with an underlying infrastructure (HW or the operating system) and regularly transferring the information to an infrastructure manager and the service function chain resource manager.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the processing load is defined by relevant parameters selected from the group consisting of a processor load, a memory space, a free memory and other parameters suited for load measuring or any combination of load measuring parameters.

24 . An apparatus, configured
to run a multitude of virtual machines as service chains on a given hardware, with a single instance of a virtual machine is executing a complete service function chain, and the service function chain containing a multitude of service functions; to continuously measure a processing load of each virtual machine which is executing a specific service function chain; and in case that the processing load of a given virtual machine exceeds a predefined load level, to activate an additional virtual machine capable of executing the specific service function chain and to execute the specific service function chain; and in case that the processing load of a given virtual machine underruns a predefined load level, to transfer the work load of the specific service function chain of the given virtual machine to another virtual machine that is able to execute the service function chain and to deactivate the specific service function chain of the given virtual machine.

25 . The apparatus according to claim 24 , further configured in such a way, that if a former active service chain execution of a virtual machine has been deactivated, said virtual machine is able to take over the service function chain execution of another virtual machine, which has exceeded a predefined load level.

26 . The apparatus according to claim 25 , further configured to load necessary software components for arbitrary service chain functionality into all virtual machines and to execute the software components.

27 . The apparatus according to claim 26 , further configured to additionally execute service function chain resource manager software that is able to activate or deactivate service function chains in virtual machines.

28 . The apparatus according to claim 25 , further configured to load a subset of software components into a virtual machine and wherein the loaded subset of software components is configured to execute a plurality of service chain functionalities.

29 . The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the virtual machine which executes as service function chain comprises additional software components which enable the service function chain itself to measure a processing load or collect the information from underlying hardware or operating system on a regular basis.

30 . A computer program, embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:
code for running a multitude of virtual machines as service chains on given hardware; code for executing instances of a virtual machine which implement a complete service function chain, the service function chain containing a multitude of service functions; code for continuously measuring a processing load of each virtual machine that is executing a specific service function chain; code configured to cause, in case the processing load of a certain virtual machine exceeds a predefined load level, an additional virtual machine that is able to execute the specific service function chain to be activated for executing the specific service function chain; and code configured to cause, in case the processing load of a certain virtual machine underruns a predefined load level, the work load of the specific service function chain of the virtual machine to be transferred to another virtual machine that is able to execute the service function chain and in consequence to deactivate the specific service function chain of the virtual machine.

Assignees

• Nokia Solutions & Networks Oy

Inventors

• Hahn Wolfgang
• Gajic Borislava

Classifications

• G06F9/45558 Primary

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F9/5077

  Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455) · CPC title

• G06F2009/4557

  Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing · CPC title

• G06F2209/5022

  Workload threshold · CPC title

• H04L41/5054

  Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components · CPC title