Network management

A method comprising:

• storing information characterizing past network management actions, the stored information including at least one propensity score indicating a likelihood that changing resources allocated to a particular virtualized network function will be necessary if a certain network operating condition exists and at least one temporal pattern indicating time periods, during which a certain section of a communication network experiences a particular load condition;
• and
• predictively initiating a preemptive network management action based at least in part on the stored information, the preemptive network management action involving at least one virtualized network function.

An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processing core, cause the apparatus at least to:

• store information characterizing past network management actions, the stored information including at least one propensity score indicating a likelihood that changing resources allocated to a particular virtualized network function will be necessary if a certain network operating condition exists and at least one temporal pattern indicating time periods, during which a certain section of a network experiences a particular load condition;
• and
• predictively initiate a preemptive network management action based at least in part on the stored information, the network management action involving at least one virtualized network function.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus to at least:

• store information characterizing past network management actions, the stored information including at least one propensity score indicating a likelihood that changing resources allocated to a particular virtualized network function will be necessary if a certain network operating condition exists and at least one temporal pattern indicating time periods, during which a certain section of a network experiences a particular load condition;
• and
• predictively initiate a preemptive network management action based at least in part on the stored information, the preemptive network management action involving at least one virtualized network function.

A method, comprising:

• predictively triggering, from a predictive entity, a preemptive network management action relating to a virtualized network function based on information characterizing past network management actions, the information including at least one propensity score indicating a likelihood that changing resources allocated to a particular virtualized network function will be necessary if a certain network operating condition exists and at least one temporal pattern indicating time periods, during which a certain section of a network experiences a particular load condition;
• responsive to the triggering, requesting implementation of the network management action by transmitting an instruction from a network function virtualization orchestrator function to a virtual infrastructure manager function, and
• responsive to a message from the virtual infrastructure manager function, requesting configuration relating to the network management action by transmitting a message from the network function virtualization orchestrator function to a virtualized network function manager function.