Global Resource Orchestration System for Network Function Virtualization

A network element (NE) implemented as a global resource orchestrator (GRO), comprising:

• a receiver configured to:
• receive a plurality of virtual network function (VNF) resource container (RC) table update messages comprising a plurality of VNF RC tables from a plurality of VNF forwarders, wherein each of the VNF RC tables comprises information about a plurality of VNF instances (VNFIs), and wherein each of the VNFIs is an instance of a VNF executable at one of a plurality of VNF RCs;
• and
• receive a plurality of VNF RC connectivity matrix update messages from the VNF forwarders, wherein each of the VNF RC connectivity matrix update messages indicates which of the VNF RC that the VNF forwarders have access to;
• a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to generate a node-VNF RC connectivity matrix based on the VNF RC connectivity matrix update messages, wherein the node-VNF RC connectivity matrix indicates which of the VNF RCs that the VNF forwarders have access to;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store the node-VNF RC connectivity matrix and the VNF resource container tables.

A network element (NE) implemented as a software defined network (SDN) controller in an SDN, comprising:

• a receiver configured to:
• receive a virtual network function (VNF) chain request from a client application, wherein the VNF chain request comprises an ordered set of VNFs;
• and
• obtain network resource conditions of a network associated with the SDN;
• a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to generate a query message, wherein the query message comprises the VNF chain request and the network resource conditions;
• and
• a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the query message to a global resource orchestrator (GRO).