# US 2020/0396142 A1 · Automated provisioning of radios in a virtual radio access network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0396142 A1 - Document ID: US20200396142A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/005,439 - Filed: 2020-08-28 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-15 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Om Prakash Suthar; Arghya Mukherjee; Santanu Dasgupta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200396142A1 ## CPC - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects} - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - H04L 41/0894: Policy-based network configuration management - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 41/40: using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities - H04L 41/5048: {Automatic or semi-automatic definitions, e.g. definition templates} - H04L 41/5054: Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components - H04W 88/085: {Access point devices with remote components} - G06F 2009/45595: {Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances} - H04L 41/342: between virtual entities, e.g. orchestrators, SDN or NFV entities - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract In one example, a Network Functions Virtualization Orchestrator (NFVO) obtains a radio service descriptor defining communication parameters for a radio in a virtual Radio Access Network (vRAN). Based on the radio service descriptor, the NFVO determines whether a virtual Distributed Unit (vDU) that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters and a virtual Centralized Unit (vCU) that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters are already instantiated in the vRAN. If it is determined that the vDU or the vCU is not already instantiated, the NFVO automatically instantiates the vDU or the vCU in the vRAN. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: at one or more processors: obtaining a radio service descriptor defining communication parameters for a radio in a virtual Radio Access Network; based on the radio service descriptor, determining whether a virtual distributed unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters and a virtual centralized unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters are already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network based at least in part on a resource availability of the virtual distributed unit; and if it is determined that the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit is not already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network, automatically instantiating the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit in the virtual Radio Access Network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: monitoring the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit based on one or more service level agreements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: deploying one or more container workloads. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein automatically instantiating the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit in the virtual Radio Access Network includes: automatically instantiating the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit in a network function virtualization infrastructure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the resource availability of the virtual distributed unit includes a compute resource availability of the virtual distributed unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the resource availability of the virtual distributed unit includes a memory resource availability of the virtual distributed unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the resource availability of the virtual distributed unit includes a storage resource availability of the virtual distributed unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the resource availability of the virtual distributed unit includes an input/output resource availability of the virtual distributed unit. ### Claim 9 An apparatus comprising: a communication interface configured to obtain and/or provide network communications; and a processor coupled to the communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain a radio service descriptor defining communication parameters for a radio in a virtual Radio Access Network; based on the radio service descriptor, determine whether a virtual distributed unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters and a virtual centralized unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters are already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network based at least in part on a resource availability of the virtual distributed unit; and if it is determined that the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit is not already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network, automatically instantiate the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit in the virtual Radio Access Network. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: monitor the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit based on one or more service level agreements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: deploy one or more container workloads. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to: automatically instantiate the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit in a network function virtualization infrastructure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the resource availability of the virtual distributed unit includes a compute resource availability of the virtual distributed unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the resource availability of the virtual distributed unit includes a memory resource availability of the virtual distributed unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the resource availability of the virtual distributed unit includes a storage resource availability of the virtual distributed unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the resource availability of the virtual distributed unit includes an input/output resource availability of the virtual distributed unit. ### Claim 17 One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain a radio service descriptor defining communication parameters for a radio in a virtual Radio Access Network; based on the radio service descriptor, determine whether a virtual distributed unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters and a virtual centralized unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters are already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network based at least in part on a resource availability of the virtual distributed unit; and if it is determined that the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit is not already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network, automatically instantiate the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit in the virtual Radio Access Network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: monitor the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit based on one or more service level agreements. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: deploy one or more container workloads. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions cause the processor to: automatically instantiate the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit in a network function virtualization infrastructure.