US 11,082,244 B2 · System and method for enabling service lifecycle based policy, licensing, and charging in a network function virtualization ecosystem

Abstract

Systems and computing devices may be configured to intelligently apply controls in a telecommunication system that implements or uses network slicing and/or virtualized network function technologies. A computing device may be configured to receive a request to instantiate a new network slice from a component in the telecommunication system. The computing device may determine that a virtualized network function (e.g., C-RAN virtual network function, MEC virtual network function, etc.) should be created for the new network slice, and determine whether a policy allows for the creation of the virtualized network function. The computing device may create the virtualized network function if the policy allows for its creation. The server computing device may be a charging and license management (CALM) component.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method of applying controls in a telecommunication system, comprising:

receiving, via a processor of a charging and license management (CALM) component, a request to instantiate a new network slice from a component in the telecommunication system;
determining, via the processor of the CALM component, whether a virtualized network function (VNF) should be created for the new network slice, wherein:
the new network slice is one of a plurality of network slices in the telecommunication system;
each network slice in the telecommunication system is an isolated end-to-end network tailored to fulfil specific requirements requested by an application;
and
the VNF uses virtualization techniques to implement a network function solely within the new network slice;
determining, via the processor of the CALM component, whether a policy allows for the creation of the VNF in response to determining that the VNF should be created for the new network slice;
and
creating, via the processor of the CALM component, the VNF in response to determining that the policy allows for the creation of the VNF.

6 more elements

A server computing device deployed in a telecommunication system, comprising:

a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request to instantiate a new network slice from a component in the telecommunication system;
determining whether a virtualized network function (VNF) should be created for the new network slice, wherein:
the new network slice is one of a plurality of network slices in the telecommunication system;
each network slice in the telecommunication system is an isolated end-to-end network tailored to fulfil specific requirements requested by an application;
and
the VNF uses virtualization techniques to implement a network function solely within the new network slice;
determining whether a policy allows for the creation of the VNF in response to determining that the VNF should be created for the new network slice;
and
creating the VNF in response to determining that the policy allows for the creation of the VNF.

7 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to in a computing system that is deployed in a telecommunication system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to instantiate a new network slice from a component in the telecommunication system;
determining whether a virtualized network function (VNF) should be created for the new network slice, wherein:
the new network slice is one of a plurality of network slices in the telecommunication system;
each network slice in the telecommunication system is an isolated end-to-end network tailored to fulfil specific requirements requested by an application;
and
the VNF uses virtualization techniques to implement a network function solely within the new network slice;
determining whether a policy allows for the creation of the VNF in response to determining that the VNF should be created for the new network slice;
and
creating the VNF in response to determining that the policy allows for the creation of the VNF.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for enabling service lifecycle based policy, licensing, and charging in a network function virtualization ecosystem

Life of this patent

System and method for enabling service lifecycle based policy, licensing, and charging in a network function virtualization ecosystem

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30