# US 12,225,402 B2 · Network entities for managing distribution of slice service level agreement information in a communication network

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- Number: US 12,225,402 B2
- Document ID: US12225402B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/740,021
- Filed: 2022-05-09
- Published: 2022-08-18
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-07
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Wint Yi Poe; Riccardo Trivisonno; Clarissa Marquezan; Mirko Schramm
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225402B2

## CPC

- H04L 41/5003: Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
- H04W 28/0247: {based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network (central resource management H04W28/16)}
- H04W 28/0263: {involving mapping traffic to individual bearers or channels, e.g. traffic flow template [TFT]}
- H04W 28/0268: {using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] (negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24)}
- H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service
- H04W 28/24: Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A network entity for controlling distribution of slice service level agreement (SLA) information of a network slice in a mobile communication network is provided, wherein the network entity is configured to: obtain a plurality of slice SLA indications, wherein each slice SLA indication is obtained from a network control entity of a first plurality of network control entities; and provide to a network control entity local slice SLA information, wherein the local slice SLA information is based on the obtained plurality of slice SLA indications. A network control entity for supporting distribution of slice service level agreement (SLA) information for a mobile communication network is provided, wherein the network control entity is configured to: provide a plurality of slice SLA indications to a network entity for controlling distribution of slice SLA information of a network slice; obtain local slice SLA information related to a network slice from a second entity, wherein the local slice SLA information is based on the obtained plurality of slice SLA indications.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for controlling distribution of slice service level agreement (SLA) information of a network slice in a mobile communication network, wherein the system comprises:
a plurality of network control entities; and
a network entity configured to:
obtain a plurality of slice SLA indications from the plurality of network control entities; and
provide local slice SLA information to at least one network control entity of the plurality of network control entities or to at least one other network control entity, wherein the local slice SLA information is based on the obtained plurality of slice SLA indications;
wherein the plurality of slice SLA indications comprises a delegation request of quota enforcement for enforcing a quota based on global slice SLA information; and
wherein the network entity is configured to manage and control a global quota status.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the local slice SLA information is further based on the global slice SLA information.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the network entity is further configured to provide to each of the plurality of network control entities a-corresponding local slice SLA information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the delegation request comprises an SLA parameter, an identification of the network slice and/or an identification of the slice SLA information, and/or an identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
wherein the plurality of slice SLA indications further comprises at least one of:
local status information, wherein the local status information is based on a policy counter value related to the local slice SLA information of a network control entity; or
an update indication, wherein the update indication is based on a quota related to the local slice SLA information.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the delegation request comprises an SLA parameter, an identification of the network slice and/or an identification of the slice SLA information, and/or an identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
wherein the network entity is further configured to:
provide to another network entity a response to the delegation request, wherein the response to the delegation request comprises an acceptance or a rejection of the network operational procedures; or
provide the following to a network control entity:
the SLA parameter, the identification of the network slice and/or the identification of the slice SLA information, and/or the identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
an acceptance or a rejection indication for the network operational procedures.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the local slice SLA information or the global slice SLA information includes at least one of:
a network slice identification;
a mapping of subscribers identification to the network slice identification;
at least one slice SLA parameter and a corresponding service level objective (SLO);
at least one network operational procedure corresponding to the SLA parameter;
at least one quota, wherein the quota indicates an upper bound to network operational procedures;
a mapping of at least one network function identification and/or at least one network function set identification to the network slice identification; or
a mapping of at least one subscriber identification to at least one network operational procedure.

### Claim 7

A network entity for controlling distribution of slice service level agreement (SLA) information of a network slice in a mobile communication network, wherein the network entity comprises:
a processor; and
a memory having processor-executable instructions stored thereon;
wherein the processor is configured to execute the processor-executable instructions to facilitate the following being performed by the network entity:
obtaining a plurality of slice SLA indications from a plurality of network control entities; and
providing local slice SLA information to at least one network control entity of the plurality of network control entities or to at least one other network control entity, wherein the local slice SLA information is based on the obtained plurality of slice SLA indications;
wherein the plurality of slice SLA indications comprises a delegation request of quota enforcement for enforcing a quota based on global slice SLA information; and
wherein the processor is configured to execute the processor-executable instructions to facilitate the following being performed by the network entity: managing and controlling a global quota status.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The network entity according to claim 7, wherein the local slice SLA information is further based on the global slice SLA information.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The network entity according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to execute the processor-executable instructions to facilitate the following being performed by the network entity: providing to each of the plurality of network control entities corresponding local slice SLA information.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The network entity according to claim 7, wherein the delegation request comprises an SLA parameter, an identification of the network slice and/or an identification of the slice SLA information, and/or an identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
wherein the plurality of slice SLA indications further comprises at least one of:
local status information, wherein the local status information is based on a policy counter value related to the local slice SLA information of a network control entity; or
an update indication, wherein the update indication is based on a quota related to the local slice SLA information.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The network entity according to claim 7, wherein the delegation request comprises an SLA parameter, an identification of the network slice and/or an identification of the slice SLA information, and/or an identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
wherein the processor is configured to execute the processor-executable instructions to facilitate the following being performed by the network entity:
providing to another network entity a response to the delegation request, wherein the response to the delegation request comprises an acceptance or a rejection of the network operational procedures; or
providing the following to a network control entity:
the SLA parameter, the identification of the network slice and/or the identification of the slice SLA information, and/or the identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
an acceptance or a rejection indication for the network operational procedures.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The network entity according to claim 7, wherein the local slice SLA information or the global slice SLA information includes at least one of a network slice identification;
a mapping of subscribers identification to the network slice identification;
at least one slice SLA parameter and a corresponding service level objective (SLO);
at least one network operational procedure corresponding to the SLA parameter;
at least one quota, wherein the quota indicates an upper bound to network operational procedures;
a mapping of at least one network function identification and/or at least one network function set identification to the network slice identification; or
a mapping of at least one subscriber identification to at least one network operational procedure.

### Claim 13

A method for controlling distribution of slice service level agreement (SLA) information of a network slice in a mobile communication network, wherein the method comprises:
obtaining, by a network entity, a plurality of slice SLA indications from a plurality of network control entities; and
providing, by the network entity, local slice SLA information to at least one network control entity of the plurality of network control entities or to at least one other network control entity, wherein the local slice SLA information is based on the obtained plurality of slice SLA indications;
wherein the plurality of slice SLA indications comprises a delegation request of quota enforcement for enforcing a quota based on global slice SLA information; and
wherein the network entity manages and controls a global quota status.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein the local slice SLA information is further based on the global slice SLA information.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:
providing to each of the plurality of network control entities corresponding local slice SLA information.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein the delegation request comprises an SLA parameter, an identification of the network slice and/or an identification of the slice SLA information, and/or an identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
wherein the plurality of slice SLA indications further comprises at least one of:
local status information, wherein the local status information is based on a policy counter value related to the local slice SLA information of a network control entity; or
an update indication, wherein the update indication is based on a quota related to the local slice SLA information.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein the delegation request comprises an SLA parameter, an identification of the network slice and/or an identification of the slice SLA information, and/or an identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
wherein the method further comprises:
providing to another network entity a response to the delegation request, wherein the response to the delegation request comprises an acceptance or a rejection of the network operational procedures; or
providing the following to a network control entity:
the SLA parameter, the identification of the network slice and/or the identification of the slice SLA information, and/or the identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
an acceptance or a rejection indication for the network operational procedures.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method according to claim 13, wherein the local slice SLA information or the global slice SLA information includes at least one of a network slice identification;
a mapping of subscribers identification to the network slice identification;
at least one slice SLA parameter and a corresponding service level objective (SLO);
at least one network operational procedure corresponding to the SLA parameter;
at least one quota, wherein the quota indicates an upper bound to network operational procedures;
a mapping of at least one network function identification and/or at least one network function set identification to the network slice identification; or
a mapping of at least one subscriber identification to at least one network operational procedure.

### Claim 19

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored for controlling distribution of slice service level agreement (SLA) information of a network slice in a mobile communication network, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, facilitate performance of the following:
obtaining, by a network entity, a plurality of slice SLA indications from a plurality of network control entities; and
providing, by the network entity, local slice SLA information to at least one network control entity of the plurality of network control entities or to at least one other network control entity, wherein the local slice SLA information is based on the obtained plurality of slice SLA indications;
wherein the plurality of slice SLA indications comprises a delegation request of quota enforcement for enforcing a quota based on global slice SLA information; and
wherein the network entity manages and controls a global quota status.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the delegation request comprises an SLA parameter, an identification of the network slice and/or an identification of the slice SLA information, and/or an identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further facilitate performance of the following:
providing to another network entity a response to the delegation request, wherein the response to the delegation request comprises an acceptance or a rejection of the network operational procedures; or
providing the following to a network control entity:
the SLA parameter, the identification of the network slice and/or the identification of the slice SLA information, and/or the identification of network operational procedures related to the SLA parameter; and
an acceptance or a rejection indication for the network operational procedures.