System, method, and computer program for preserving service continuity in a network function virtualization (NFV) based communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9384028-B1
Application number	US-201414572716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for preserving service continuity in a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network. In use, a first virtual network function (VNF) instance associated with a first VNF in a first hardware unit in a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network is identified. Additionally, a second VNF instance on a second hardware unit is instantiated, the second VNF instance being compatible with the first VNF instance. Further, communication directed to the first VNF instance is diverted to the second VNF instance on the second hardware unit, in response to initiating the second VNF instance on a second hardware unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
identifying a first virtual network function (VNF) instance associated with a first VNF in a first hardware unit in a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network, the first VNF instance including a process executing a first VNF program by a virtual machine;
initiating a second VNF instance on a second hardware unit, the second VNF instance having functionality matching the first VNF instance; and
verifying a compatibility between the first VNF instance and the second VNF instance by comparing an output of the second VNF instance to an output of the first VNF instance, the output including data, transmission, and timing parameters;
conditionally diverting communications directed to the first VNF instance to the second VNF instance on the second hardware unit, in response to initiating the second VNF instance on the second hardware unit and verifying the compatibility between the first VNF instance and the second VNF instance.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deactivating the first VNF instance in response to diverting the communication.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deploying a second VNF to the second hardware unit, the second VNF being compatible with the first VNF.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein continuity of a service associated with the first VNF instance is preserved.

5. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer code for:
identifying a first virtual network function (VNF) instance associated with a first VNF in a first hardware unit in a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network, the first VNF instance including a process executing a first VNF program by a virtual machine;
initiating a second VNF instance on a second hardware unit, the second VNF instance having functionality matching the first VNF instance; and
verifying a compatibility between the first VNF instance and the second VNF instance by comparing an output of the second VNF instance to an output of the first VNF instance, the output including data, transmission, and timing parameters;
conditionally diverting communications directed to the first VNF instance to the second VNF instance on the second hardware unit, in response to initiating the second VNF instance on the second hardware unit and verifying the compatibility between the first VNF instance and the second VNF instance.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 , further comprising computer code for deactivating the first VNF instance in response to diverting the communication.

7. The computer program product of claim 5 , further comprising computer code for deploying a second VNF to the second hardware unit, the second VNF being compatible with the first VNF.

8. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that continuity of a service associated with the first VNF instance is preserved.

9. A system comprising:
a memory system; and
one or more processing cores coupled to the memory system and that are each configured for:
identifying a first virtual network function (VNF) instance associated with a first VNF in a first hardware unit in a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network, the first VNF instance including a process executing a first VNF program by a virtual machine;
initiating a second VNF instance on a second hardware unit, the second VNF instance having functionality matching the first VNF instance; and
verifying a compatibility between the first VNF instance and the second VNF instance by comparing an output of the second VNF instance to an output of the first VNF instance, the output including data, transmission, and timing parameters;
conditionally diverting communications directed to the first VNF instance to the second VNF instance on the second hardware unit, in response to initiating the second VNF instance on the second hardware unit and verifying the compatibility between the first VNF instance and the second VNF instance.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processing cores are further each configured to deactivate the first VNF instance in response to diverting the communication.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processing cores are further each configured to deactivate deploy a second VNF to the second hardware unit, the second VNF being compatible with the first VNF.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is operable such that continuity of a service associated with the first VNF instance is preserved.

Assignees

• Amdocs Software Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Felstaine Eyal
• Hermoni Ofer
• Sandlerman Nimrod

Classifications

• G06F9/45533 Primary

  Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors · CPC title

• H04L67/02 Primary

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• G06F2009/45595

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

• H04L41/5025

  by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade · CPC title

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title