Referent system for devices of an NFV network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9887882-B2
Application number	US-201514737867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2015
Priority date	Jun 12, 2015
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A network functions virtualization (NFV) network can be configured to operate according to NFV protocols that decouple software functionality from specific hardware elements. A referent system can be provided that identifies a precise physical location of devices associated with the NFV network relative to other equipment or devices associated with the NFV network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
executing a network function according to a network functions virtualization protocol that defines rules relating to functions of network devices of a network being provided in a virtual environment generated by the network device;
assigning the network function with referent identifier data of a referent system, wherein the referent identifier data comprises:
device data that identifies the network device relative to equipment other than the network device associated with the network; and
reference data indicative of the equipment associated with the network, wherein the reference data comprises a location identifier that identifies a building structure and a floor structure, an aisle identifier that identifies an aisle structure, a bay identifier that identifies a bay structure, and a shelf identifier that identifies a shelf structure; and

facilitating transmission of status data to a monitoring device in response to a determination that a criterion has been satisfied, wherein the status data comprises the referent identifier data.

2. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the referent identifier data is indicative of a physical location of the network device and the equipment.

3. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining move data indicative of a move associated with the network function.

4. The network device of claim 3 , wherein the network device is a first network device, and wherein the move associated with the network function relates to transferring execution of the network function from the first network device to a second network device that differs from the first network device, and updating the referent identifier data in accordance with information indicative of a physical location of the second network device.

5. The network device of claim 3 , wherein the move associated with the network function relates to a change in a physical location associated with the network device that is executing the network function and updating the referent identifier data in accordance with information indicative of the change of the physical location of the network device.

6. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the equipment comprises the floor structure associated with the floor identifier of the building structure and the floor structure comprising a first group of devices associated with the network, wherein the equipment comprises the aisle structure comprising a second group of devices associated with the network, wherein the equipment comprises the bay structure comprising a third group of devices associated with the network, and wherein the equipment comprises a shelf structure comprising a fourth group of devices associated with the network.

7. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the reference data and the device data represent non-unique identifiers within the referent system.

8. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the referent identifier data, comprising a combination of the reference data and the device data, represents a unique identifier within the referent system.

9. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the the determination that the criterion has been satisfied is in response to determining that the network device has spare computing capacity, and wherein the status data indicates the network device has spare computing capacity.

10. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the the determination that the criterion has been satisfied is in response to determining that the network device requires maintenance, and wherein the status data indicates the network device requires maintenance.

11. A monitoring device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
receiving status data from a network device configured to execute a network function according to a network functions virtualization protocol that defines rules relating to functions of network devices of a network being provided in a virtual environment instantiated by the network device;
receiving referent identifier data that is assigned to the network function and is indicative of a referent system, wherein the referent identifier data comprises device data that identifies the network device relative to equipment, other than the device, associated with the network and reference data that identifies the equipment associated with the network, and wherein the reference data comprises a location identifier that identifies a building structure and a floor structure, an aisle identifier that identifies an aisle structure, a bay identifier that identifies a bay structure, and a shelf identifier that identifies a shelf structure;
determining location data indicative of a physical location of the network device based on the referent identifier data; and
transmitting a message that indicates a status of a first device, wherein the first device is identified by the referent system and is at a physical location defined by the referent system.

12. The monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the reference data is indicative of a physical location of the equipment and the equipment comprises: the floor structure associated with the floor identifier of the building structure, wherein the floor structure comprising a first group of devices associated with the network, the aisle structure comprising a second group of devices associated with the network, the bay structure comprising a third group of devices associated with the network, or the shelf structure comprising a fourth group of devices associated with the network.

13. The monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving move data indicative of a move associated with the network function and updating the location data in accordance with the move data.

14. The monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving move request data indicative of a request to change a physical location associated with the network function and determining target location data indicative of a target for the physical location based on the referent system.

15. The monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the reference data and the device data are, within the referent system, non-unique identifiers and the referent identifier data, comprising a combination of the reference data and the device data, is, within the referent system, a unique identifier.

16. The monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the message is a spare capacity message that indicates the first device has spare capacity.

17. The monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the message is a maintenance message that indicates the first device potentially requires service.

18. A method, comprising:
executing, by a network device comprising a processor, a network function according to a network functions virtualization protocol that defines rules relating to functions of network devices of a network being provided in a virtual environment constructed by the device;
receiving, by the processor, a first portion of referent identifier data associated with a referent system, wherein the first portion comprises reference data that identifies equipment of the network other than the network device and comprises a location identifier that identifies a building structure and a floor structure, an

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Higgins Robert M
• Foladare Mark Jeffrey
• Bragg Dean
• Ng John

Classifications

• H04L41/0816

  the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events · CPC title

• G06F2009/45591

  Monitoring or debugging support · 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

• H04L43/0817

  by checking functioning · CPC title

• H04L41/12 Primary

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title