Virtualized network function placements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

• generate an initial VNF mapping of a plurality of virtualized network functions (VNFs) among a plurality of nodes of a network infrastructure, wherein the initial VNF mapping is based on a metric associated with node resource utilization;
• generate a plurality of alternate VNF mappings of the plurality of VNFs among a portion of the plurality of nodes, wherein the each of the plurality of alternate VNF mappings corresponds to a particular value of the metric associated with node resource utilization and a particular amount of nodes utilized;
• generate an expected latency associated with each of the initial VNF mapping and the plurality of alternate VNF mappings;
• and
• present the initial VNF mapping, the expected latency associated with the initial VNF mapping, an alternate VNF mapping, and the expected latency associated with the alternate VNF mapping to a network provider for selection.

A method of virtualized network function (VNF) placement, comprising:

• generating an initial VNF mapping of a plurality of VNFs among a plurality of nodes of a network infrastructure utilizing a heuristic targeting a metric associated with node resource utilization;
• generating an alternate VNF mapping of the plurality of VNFs among a portion of the plurality of nodes based on a mixed integer programming formulation that reduces a weighted combination of an amount of nodes utilized in executing a service chain and a metric associated with resource utilization at each of the portion of the plurality of nodes;
• estimating an expected latency associated with each of the initial VNF placement and the plurality of alternate VNF placements;
• and
• placing the plurality of VNFs according to a selected mapping from the initial VNF mapping and the alternate VNF mapping.