Method and arrangement for licence management in NFV network environment

An electronic arrangement for dynamically and automatically controlling the usage of software components in connection with a network function virtualization (NFV) platform in a communications network comprising a mobile network, the arrangement comprising at least one data interface for transferring data, at least one processing unit for processing instructions and other data, and memory for storing the instructions and other data, said at least one processing unit being configured, in accordance with the stored instructions, to cause:

• obtaining first information indicative of instantiated virtualized network functions (VNF) and licences associated therewith, and second information indicative of a VNF licence that is available for allocation to an instance of a related VNF in accordance with terms and conditions as stipulated by the VNF licence;
• determining, based on the obtained first and second information, between whether a licence currently allocated to an existing instance of a VNF is to be replaced with the available licence or the existing VNF instance is to be replaced with a new instance of said related VNF associated with the available licence, wherein a number of selected criteria are utilized to compare the currently allocated licence with the available licence having regard to the concerned terms and conditions as well as network resource information including usage information regarding the existing instance of the VNF based on data obtained from the network;
• and
• (1) responsive to the determination being positive that a licence currently allocated to an existing instance of a VNF is to be replaced, allocating the available licence to the existing VNF instance, the licence currently allocated to the existing VNF instance being released, and (2) responsive to the determination being positive that the existing VNF instance is to be replaced, allocating the available licence to said new instance of said related VNF that is instantiated, the licence currently allocated to the existing VNF instance being released and the existing VNF instance being de-instantiated.