Model-driven service creation and management

A service hub in a network, the service hub comprising:

• a memory unit configured to store a plurality of views of a model for a service, wherein the model includes service information comprising logical operational sub-systems of the network associated with effecting the service in the network, wherein individual ones of the plurality of views are associated with a respective subsystem in the network and include portions of the service information specific to the respective subsystem to effect the service, and wherein individual ones of the plurality of views are representative of a functionality that the respective subsystem provides as well as interfaces and attributes common between the respective subsystem and other network components with interfaces to the respective subsystem;
• and
• a communications part configured to transmit at least one of the plurality of views to the respective subsystem in response to a request from the respective subsystem in the network that is implementing a new or modified service, and
• wherein the at least one of the plurality of views is configured for use by the respective subsystem:
• to interpret the at least one of the plurality of views to define actions of the respective subsystem with respect to the new or modified service to define attributes to be communicated between the respective subsystem and the network, and
• to determine integration of the new or modified service at the respective subsystem with respect to the network.

A subsystem in a network, the subsystem comprising:

• a first communication part configured to receive at least one of a plurality of views of a model of a service from a service hub, wherein the at least one of a plurality of views includes service information comprising logical operational subsystems of the network specific to the subsystem for effecting the service in the network, the service information including interfaces and attributes common between the subsystem and other network components with interfaces to the subsystem, wherein the first communication part is configured to request the at least one view from the service hub in response to a request for implementation of a new or modified service at the subsystem;
• a second communication part configured to effect the service via the interfaces and attributes;
• and
• a subsystem computing device in communication with the first communication part and the second communication part, the subsystem computing device configured to:
• interpret the at least one of the plurality of views to define actions of the subsystem with respect to the new or modified service to define attributes to be communicated between the subsystem and the network, and
• determine integration of the new or modified service at the subsystem with respect to the network.

A method for modeling a service for use in a network, the method comprising:

• creating a model of the service, the model including service information comprising logical operational subsystems of the network associated with effecting the service in the network;
• storing the model;
• creating a plurality of views of the model, wherein individual ones of the plurality of views are associated with a respective subsystem in the network and include portions of the service information specific to the respective subsystem to effect the service, wherein the individual ones of the plurality of views are representative of a functionality that the respective subsystem provides as well as interfaces and attributes common between the respective subsystem and other network components with interfaces to the respective subsystem;
• and
• storing the plurality of views, and
• wherein the individual ones of the plurality of views are configured for use by the respective subsystem:
• to interpret the individual ones of the plurality of views to define actions of the respective subsystem with respect to the new or modified service to define attributes to be communicated between the respective subsystem and the network, and
• to determine integration of the new or modified service at the respective subsystem with respect to the network.

A method for employing a service in a network, the method comprising:

• storing a plurality of views of a model of a service, wherein the model includes service information comprising logical operational subsystems of the network associated with effecting the service in the network, and wherein individual ones of the plurality of views are associated with a respective subsystem in the network and include portions of the service information specific to the respective subsystem to effect the service, wherein the individual ones of the plurality of views are representative of the functionality that the respective subsystem provides as well as interfaces and attributes common between the respective subsystem and other network components with interfaces to the respective subsystem;
• receiving a request for a new or modified service at the respective subsystem;
• transmitting at least one of the plurality of views to the respective subsystem;
• the respective subsystem interpreting the at least one of the plurality of views to define actions of the respective subsystem with respect to the new or modified service to define attributes to be communicated between the respective subsystem and the network;
• and
• the respective subsystem determining integration of the new or modified service at the respective subsystem with respect to the network.

A method for effecting a service by a subsystem in a network, the method comprising:

• requesting at least one of a plurality of views of a model of a network service from a service hub;
• receiving the at least one of a plurality of views of a model of the network service at the subsystem, wherein the at least one of a plurality of views includes service information comprising logical operational sub-systems of the network specific to the subsystem for effecting the network service in the network, the service information including interfaces and attributes common between the subsystem and other network components with interfaces to the subsystem;
• the subsystem interpreting the at least one of a plurality of views to define actions of the subsystem with respect to a new or modified subsystem service and to determine integration of the new or modified service at the subsystem with respect to the network;
• and
• effecting the new or modified subsystem service via the interfaces and attributes of the at least one of a plurality of views.

A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

• receipt from at least one subsystem at a computing device of service information comprising logical operational subsystems of a network associated with effecting a service in the network;
• create and store at the computing device a plurality of views of a model of the service, wherein the model includes the service information, wherein at least one of the plurality of views is associated with a respective subsystem in the network and includes portions of the service information specific to the respective subsystem to effect the service, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of views is representative of the functionality the respective subsystem provides as well as interfaces and attributes common between the respective subsystem and other network components with interfaces to the respective subsystem;
• and
• transmit from the computing device at least one of the plurality of views to the respective subsystem, and
• wherein the individual ones of the plurality of views are configured for use by the respective subsystem:
• to interpret the individual ones of the plurality of views to define actions of the respective subsystem with respect to the new or modified service to define attributes to be communicated between the respective subsystem and the network, and
• to determine integration of the new or modified service at the respective subsystem with respect to the network.