System, method, and computer program for testing at least a portion of a network function virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network utilizing at least one virtual service testing element

A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

• computer code for instantiating at least one virtual service testing element, the at least one virtual service testing element being at least one virtual service or at least one virtual network function (VNF), and the at least one virtual service testing element being operable for testing at least a portion of a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network including a plurality of virtual services;
• and
• computer code for identifying at least one time to implement the at least one virtual service testing element;
• computer code for implementing, at the identified time, the at least one virtual service testing element to test the at least a portion of the NFV-based communication network by:
• sending a known test case communication from the at least one virtual service testing element as an input to an ingress point of the at least a portion of the NFV-based communication network,
• receiving a result of the input as an output at an egress point of the at least a portion of the NFV-based communication network, and
• analyzing the result to determine whether at least a portion of the NFV-based communication network is performing as expected;
• wherein the virtual service testing element being the at least one virtual service or the at least one virtual network function (VNF) enables the virtual service testing element to be dynamically moved across the NFV-based communication network, including:
• identifying at least one first point in the NFV-based communication network to functionally locate the at least one virtual service testing element,
• functionally locating the at least one virtual service testing element at the at least one first point of the NFV-based communication network,
• identifying at least one second point in the NFV-based communication network to functionally locate the at least one virtual service testing element, and
• functionally moving the at least one virtual service testing element from the at least one first point of the NFV-based communication network to the at least one second point of the NFV-based communication network.

A system comprising:

• a memory system;
• and
• one or more processing cores coupled to the memory system and that are each configured to:
• instantiate at least one virtual service testing element, the at least one virtual service testing element being at least one virtual service or at least one virtual network function (VNF), and the at least one virtual service testing element being operable for testing at least a portion of a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network including a plurality of virtual services;
• and
• identify at least one time to implement the at least one virtual service testing element;
• at the identified time, implement the at least one virtual service testing element to test the at least a portion of the NFV-based communication network by:
• sending a known test case communication from the at least one virtual service testing element as an input to an ingress point of the at least a portion of the NFV-based communication network,
• receiving a result of the input as an output at an egress point of the at least a portion of the NFV-based communication network, and
• analyzing the result to determine whether at least a portion of the NFV-based communication network is performing as expected;
• wherein the virtual service testing element being the at least one virtual service or the at least one virtual network function (VNF) enables the virtual service testing element to be dynamically moved across the NFV-based communication network, including:
• identifying at least one first point in the NFV-based communication network to functionally locate the at least one virtual service testing element,
• functionally locating the at least one virtual service testing element at the at least one first point of the NFV-based communication network,
• identifying at least one second point in the NFV-based communication network to functionally locate the at least one virtual service testing element, and
• functionally moving the at least one virtual service testing element from the at least one first point of the NFV-based communication network to the at least one second point of the NFV-based communication network.