# US 12,003,378 B1 · Systems and methods for predictive scaling of edge entities

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- Number: US 12,003,378 B1
- Document ID: US12003378B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/083,129
- Filed: 2022-12-16
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-16
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L.P.
- Inventors: Ana Cristina Bernardo De Oliveira; André Ricardo de Carvalho Saraiva; Anselmo Luiz Éden Battisti; Antonio Augusto de Aragão Rocha; Flávia Coimbra Delicato; Ian Vilar Bastos; Paulo de Figueiredo Pires; Thais Vasconcelos Batista; Thiago Pereira da Silva; Evandro Luiz Cardoso Macedo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003378B1

## CPC

- H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
- H04L 41/0897: by horizontal or vertical scaling of resources, or by migrating entities, e.g. virtual resources or entities
- H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
- H04L 43/04: Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
- H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring
- H04L 43/20: the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A method for scaling a virtual network function (VNF) by analyzing VNF metrics data, the method that includes obtaining, by a computing device, a VNF metrics data, identifying a queue in the VNF metrics data, calculating a constraint violation probability based on the queue, making a first determination that the constraint violation probability is greater than an upper threshold, and based on the first determination, scaling up the VNF.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for scaling a virtual network function (VNF) by analyzing VNF metrics data, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a computing device, the VNF metrics data for a service function chain (SFC) executing on a second computing device,
wherein the SFC comprises a first VNF, a second VNF, and a third VNF;
determining, using the VNF metrics data, maximum processing times for the first VNF, the second VNF, and the third VNF;
obtaining a constraint for the SFC;
calculating a constraint violation probability for the SFC,
wherein the constraint violation probability is expressed through a negative exponential function at least reflecting the maximum processing times for the first VNF, the second VNF, and the third VNF;
making a first determination that the constraint violation probability is greater than an upper threshold;
based on the first determination:
making a second determination that the second VNF has a highest maximum processing time relative to the first VNF and the third VNF; and
based on the second determination, scaling-up the second VNF,
wherein scaling up the second VNF comprises initiating a fourth VNF in the SFC on the second computing device,
wherein the second VNF performs a function,
wherein the fourth VNF performs the function,
wherein packets processed by the SFC are load balanced between the second VNF and the fourth VNF.

### Claim 2

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, enables the processor to perform a method for scaling a virtual network function (VNF) by analyzing VNF metrics data, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a computing device, the VNF metrics data for a service function chain (SFC) executing on a second computing device,
wherein the SFC comprises a first VNF, a second VNF, and a third VNF;
determining, using the VNF metrics data, maximum processing times for the first VNF, the second VNF, and the third VNF;
obtaining a constraint for the SFC;
calculating a constraint violation probability for the SFC,
wherein the constraint violation probability is expressed through a negative exponential function at least reflecting the maximum processing times for the first VNF, the second VNF, and the third VNF;
making a first determination that the constraint violation probability is greater than an upper threshold;
based on the first determination:
making a second determination that the second VNF has a highest maximum processing time relative to the first VNF and the third VNF; and
based on the second determination, scaling-up the second VNF,
wherein scaling up the second VNF comprises initiating allocation of additional hardware resources on the second computing device to the second VNF.

### Claim 3

A computing device, comprising:
a processor; and
memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, enables the processor to perform a method for scaling a virtual network function (VNF) by analyzing VNF metrics data, the method comprising:
obtaining the VNF metrics data for a service function chain (SFC) executing on a second computing device,
wherein the SFC comprises a first VNF, a second VNF, and a third VNF;
determining, using the VNF metrics data, maximum processing times for the first VNF, the second VNF, and the third VNF;
obtaining a constraint for the SFC;
calculating a constraint violation probability for the SFC,
wherein the constraint violation probability is expressed through a negative exponential function at least reflecting the maximum processing times for the first VNF, the second VNF, and the third VNF;
making a first determination that the constraint violation probability is greater than an upper threshold;
based on the first determination:
making a second determination that the second VNF has a highest maximum processing time relative to the first VNF and the third VNF; and
based on the second determination, scaling-up the second VNF,
wherein scaling up the second VNF comprises sending a command to a container orchestrator that is managing the second VNF to scale up the second VNF.