Apparatus and method for network slicing and slice management to support multi-slice services

A communication apparatus comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to a processor and having stored thereon a program including processor-executable instructions which, when being executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• convert a service requirement of a tenant or application into a joint performance parameter for at least two network slice instances or at least two correlated communication traffic flows for the service,
• wherein the joint performance parameter provides a performance requirement that correlates the two or more network slice instances or the at least two correlated communication traffic flows;
• determine a resource allocation for at least one of the correlated network slice instances or at least one of the correlated communication traffic flows based on the joint performance parameter;
• expose binding information for use in managing the correlated at least two network slices or the at least two correlated communication traffic flows, wherein the binding information includes identification of the correlated communication traffic flows;
• monitor at least the joint performance parameter or a resource allocation at least across the at least two correlated network slice instances or across the two correlated communication traffic flows;
• and
• apply a joint quality of service (QoS) treatment to the at least two correlated network slice instances or the at least two communication traffic flows based on at least the joint performance parameter or the binding information, wherein the at least two correlated communication traffic flows are bound at a network layer.

A communication method comprising:

• converting a requirement of a service into a joint performance parameter for at least two network slice instances or at least two correlated communication traffic flows for the service;
• determining at least two correlated communication traffic flows for a service,
• wherein a joint quality of service (QoS) treatment is applied to the at least two correlated network slice instances or the at least two correlated communication traffic flows based on at least the joint performance parameter or binding information, and
• wherein the at least two correlated communication traffic flows are correlated by the joint performance parameter;
• and
• exposing binding information for use in managing the at least two correlated communication traffic flows using the joint performance parameter, wherein the binding information includes identification of the correlated communication traffic flows, wherein the at least two correlated communication traffic flows are bound at a network layer.