Method and system for adaptive and context-aware service function chaining in communication networks

A system for adaptively performing service function chaining based on network context, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores the processor-executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor to:
• receive a request for provisioning a service function chain (SFC) of a plurality of service functions (SFs), wherein the request comprises at least a flexible SFC template (FST);
• determine a service function path (SFP) responsive to a receipt of data packets to be transmitted over the network, based on at least the FST, a current network context, one or more network estimation inputs, and historical network data, wherein the data packets correspond to a pre-defined flow of data packets;
• monitor a pre-defined plurality of parameters associated with the SFP and a network context after implementing the SFP, wherein the monitoring corresponds to a periodic monitoring or an aperiodic monitoring;
• identify a requirement for modification of the SFP based on the monitoring of the pre-defined plurality of parameters and SFP modification criteria;
• modify the SFP responsive to the identification;
• and
• monitor the performance of the modified SFP based on one or more of the pre-defined plurality of parameters associated with the modified SFP, the network context after modifying the SFP, and a pre-defined plurality of performance thresholds.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for adaptively performing service function chaining based on network context, wherein upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors, the processors perform operations comprising:

• receiving a request for provisioning a service function chain (SFC) of a plurality of service functions (SFs), wherein the request comprises at least a flexible SFC template (FST);
• determining a service function path (SFP) responsive to a receipt of data packets to be transmitted over the network, based on at least the FST, a current network context, one or more network estimation inputs, and historical network data, wherein the data packets correspond to a pre-defined flow of data packets;
• monitoring a pre-defined plurality of parameters associated with the SFP and a network context after implementing the SFP, wherein the monitoring corresponds to a periodic monitoring or an aperiodic monitoring;
• identifying a requirement for modification of the SFP based on the monitoring of the pre-defined plurality of parameters and SFP modification criteria;
• modifying the SFP responsive to the identification;
• and
• monitoring the performance of the modified SFP based on one or more of the pre-defined plurality of parameters associated with the modified SFP, the network context after modifying the SFP, and a pre-defined plurality of performance thresholds.