# US 2021/0243086 A1 · Network slice management

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- Number: US 2021/0243086 A1
- Document ID: US20210243086A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/236,096
- Filed: 2021-04-21
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-24
- Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Inventors: Shraboni Jana; Mostafa Tofighbakhsh; Dhruv Gupta; Deva-Datta Sharma; Rittwik Jana
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243086A1

## CPC

- H04L 41/5019: Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
- H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
- H04L 41/0893: Assignment of logical groups to network elements
- 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 41/5003: Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
- H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition
- H04W 72/04: Wireless resource allocation
- H04L 41/145: {involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network}
- H04L 41/147: for predicting network behaviour
- H04L 41/149: for prediction of maintenance
- 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

The described technology is generally directed towards network slice management. A mobile communications network can comprise multiple sub-networks, namely, as an access network, a transport network, and a core network. Access network resources can be managed according to the techniques provided herein to meet service level agreement (SLA) commitments associated with network slices. Furthermore, resources of any sub-network can be managed in a manner that accounts for constraints imposed by the other sub-networks.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
identifying, by a network controller comprising a processor, a constraint associated with at least one of a group of sub-networks, the group of sub-networks comprising a transport sub-network and a core sub-network,
wherein the transport sub-network and the core sub-network are part of a network comprising the transport sub-network, the core sub-network, and an access sub-network; and
matching, by the network controller, an access sub-network resource, associated with the access sub-network and comprising a capability, to a use of the access sub-network resource in connection with a network slice enabled via the network,
wherein the matching is based on a network slice requirement associated with the network slice, the capability of the access sub-network resource, and the constraint associated with the at least one of the group of sub-networks.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the matching comprises matching a group of access sub-network resources comprising a group of capabilities for use in connection with the network slice.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning, by the network controller, the access sub-network resource to the network slice.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises multiple wireless access environments, and wherein the access sub-network resource comprises a resource usable for wireless access by a user equipment within a wireless access environment of the multiple wireless access environments.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the network controller comprises a radio access network intelligent controller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the network slice requirement is associated with a user equipment, and wherein the method is performed in response to receiving a mobile communication from the user equipment.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the capability of the access sub-network resource comprises a beam pattern of an antenna array.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the constraint comprises an amount of expected delay associated with processing a communication associated with the network slice via the transport sub-network or the core sub-network.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the network slice requirement comprises a time requirement specifying a timing applicable to the network slice.

### Claim 10

A network controller, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
identifying a network slice requirement associated with a network slice;
identifying capabilities associated with access sub-network resources of sub-network resources comprising the access sub-network resources, transport sub-network resources, and core sub-network resources;
identifying a constraint associated with a sub-network resource of a group of the sub-network resources, the group of the sub-network resources comprising the transport sub-network resources and the core sub-network resources; and
determining a group of the capabilities associated with the access sub-network resources to satisfy the network slice requirement, wherein the group of the capabilities is determined based on the network slice requirement and the constraint.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The network controller of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise assigning the group of the capabilities associated with the access sub-network resources to the network slice.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The network controller of claim 11, wherein the network slice requirement is associated with a request from a user equipment, and wherein assigning the group of the capabilities associated with the access sub-network resources to the network slice is in response to receiving a mobile communication from the user equipment.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The network controller of claim 10, wherein network slice requirement comprises a time applicable to the network slice.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The network controller of claim 10, wherein the constraint comprises an amount of expected delay associated with processing a communication associated with the network slice as a result of using the transport sub-network resources and the core sub-network resources.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The network controller of claim 10, wherein the network slice requirement comprises a service level agreement commitment associated with the network slice.

### Claim 16

A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining a group of capabilities associated with access sub-network resources to satisfy a network slice specification, wherein the group of capabilities is determined based on a network slice specification and a constraint, wherein
the access sub-network resources are enabled via an access sub-network of a network comprising the access sub-network, a transport sub-network, and a core sub-network; and
the constraint is associated with the transport sub-network and the core sub-network; and
assigning the group of capabilities associated with the access sub-network resources to a network slice associated with the network slice specification.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining the group of capabilities comprises identifying a probability of the group of capabilities fulfilling the network slice specification in view of the constraint.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the network slice specification comprises a specification of a mobile communication time applicable to mobile communication by a mobile device to use the network slice, and wherein the group of capabilities is determined to have a higher probability of fulfilling the specification of the mobile communication time than at least one other group of capabilities of the access sub-network resources.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured for execution at a network automation platform device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the group of capabilities associated with the access sub-network resources comprises a defined beam pattern at an antenna array.