Management apparatus, management method, and management program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024224070-A1
Application number	US-202117918838-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2021
Priority date	Aug 20, 2021
Publication date	Jul 4, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An objective is to provide a management apparatus, a management method, and a management program that can appropriately operate a virtualized DU in a RAN.
A management apparatus ( 500 ) manages a virtualized DU (Distributed Unit) in a base station forming a radio communication cell, constructed from one or more virtualized components. A virtualized DU monitoring unit ( 510 ) monitors, as a usage status value, a radio terminal accommodation rate in the virtualized DU or a traffic accommodation rate in the virtualized DU. A virtualized DU setting determination unit ( 520 ) determines a setting in the virtualized DU based on the usage status value and a deletion allowance requirement. The virtualized DU setting determination unit ( 520 ) determines that the virtualized DU is to be deleted if the usage status value is less than a first threshold value and the deletion allowance requirement is satisfied, and determines that the virtualized DU is to be scaled in if the usage status value is less than the first threshold value and the deletion allowance requirement is not satisfied.

First claim

1 . A management apparatus that manages a virtualized Distributed Unit (DU) in a base station forming a radio communication cell, constructed from one or more virtualized components, wherein the management apparatus comprises:
a virtualized DU monitoring unit that monitors, as a usage status value, a radio terminal accommodation rate in the virtualized DU or a traffic accommodation rate in the virtualized DU; a virtualized DU setting determination unit that determines a setting in the virtualized DU based on the usage status value and a deletion allowance requirement; and a control unit that controls the virtualized DU in accordance with the setting that has been determined, wherein the virtualized DU setting determination unit determines that the virtualized DU is to be deleted if the usage status value is less than a first threshold value and the deletion allowance requirement is satisfied, and determines that the virtualized DU is to be scaled in if the usage status value is less than the first threshold value and the deletion allowance requirement is not satisfied.

2 . The management apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the virtualized DU setting determination unit determines that the virtualized DU is to be scaled in if the usage status value is equal to or higher than the first threshold value and less than a second threshold value higher than the first threshold value, determines that the virtualized DU is to be maintained if the usage status value is equal to or higher than the second threshold value and less than a third threshold value higher than the second threshold value, determines that the virtualized DU is to be scaled out if the usage status value is equal to or higher than the third threshold value and less than a fourth threshold value higher than the third threshold value, and determines that a virtualized component is to be added to the virtualized DU if the usage status value is equal to or higher than the fourth threshold value.

3 . The management apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
if the virtualized DU setting determination unit has determined that the virtualized DU is to be maintained in a case in which the usage status value is equal to or higher than the second threshold value and less than the third threshold value higher than the second threshold value, the virtualized DU setting determination unit further:
determines that the virtualized DU is to be scaled in if a decrease rate in the usage status value is equal to or higher than a fifth threshold value, and
determines that the virtualized DU is to be scaled out if an increase rate in the usage status value is equal to or higher than a sixth threshold value.

4 . A management method for managing a virtualized Distributed Unit (DU) in a base station forming a radio communication cell, constructed from one or more virtualized components, wherein the management method includes:
monitoring, as a usage status value, a radio terminal accommodation rate in the virtualized DU or a traffic accommodation rate in the virtualized DU; and determining a setting in the virtualized DU based on the usage status value and a deletion allowance requirement, wherein the determining the setting in the virtualized DU comprises:
determining that the virtualized DU is to be deleted if the usage status value is less than a first threshold value and the deletion allowance requirement is satisfied, and
determining that the virtualized DU is to be scaled in if the usage status value is less than the first threshold value and the deletion allowance requirement is not satisfied.

5 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Rakuten Mobile Inc

Inventors

• NAKAZATO Jin
• Tanaka Saki

Classifications

• H04L43/20

  the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV · CPC title

• H04W88/085

  Access point devices with remote components · CPC title

• H04L43/16

  Threshold monitoring · CPC title

• H04W24/02 Primary

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04W16/02

  Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning · CPC title