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US 10,255,094 B2Granted
Utilizing physical systems and virtual systems for virtual network functions
AssigneeGenband US LLC
InventorPaul Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method includes provisioning a first Virtual Network Function (VNF) component on a first virtual machine, the first virtual machine being supported by a first physical computing system, provisioning a second VNF component directly on a second physical computing system, and using, within a telecommunications network, a VNF that includes both the first VNF component running on the first virtual machine and the second VNF component running directly on the second physical computing system.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- provisioning a first Virtual Network Function (VNF) component on a first virtual machine, the first virtual machine being supported by a first physical computing system;
- provisioning a second VNF component directly on a second physical computing system without running on a virtual machine;
- using, within a telecommunications network, a VNF that includes both the first VNF component running on the first virtual machine and the second VNF component running directly on the second physical computing system;
- with a VNF manager, determining that a third VNF component should be provisioned;
- with the VNF manager, determining whether the third VNF component is capable of utilizing a hardware accelerator associated with a third physical computing system;
- and
- in response to determining that the third VNF component does not require use of the hardware accelerator, implementing the third VNF on the at least one virtual machine.
4 more elements
A method comprising,
- with a Virtual Network Function (VNF) manager, sending a first instruction to a Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI) to use a first virtual machine to provide a first VNF component, the first virtual machine being supported by at least one of a plurality of physical computing systems;
- with the VNF manager, sending a second instruction to the VNFI to use one of the plurality of physical computing systems to directly support a second VNF component without running on a virtual machine, the first VNF component and the second VNF component both being used to provide a VNF;
- in response to a change in demand for the VNF, determining that a third VNF component should be provisioned;
- with the VNF manager, determining whether the third VNF component is capable of utilizing a hardware accelerator associated with the plurality of physical computing systems;
- and
- in response to determining that the third VNF component does not require use of the hardware accelerator, instructing the NFVI to implement the third VNF on a second virtual machine supported by at least one of the plurality of physical computing systems.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory comprising machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
- send a first instruction to a Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (VNFI) to use a first set of virtual machines to provide a first set of Virtual Network Function (VNF) components, the first set of virtual machines being supported by at least one of a plurality of physical computing systems;
- send a second instruction to the VNFI to use one of the plurality of physical computing systems to directly support a set of second VNF components without a virtual machine;
- and
- manage a VNF that uses both the first set of VNF components and the second set of VNF components;
- and
- in response to determining that a new VNF component does not require use of the hardware accelerator, instructing the NFVI to implement the new VNF on one of the plurality of physical computing systems.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.