System, method, and computer program for resource conversion in a network function virtualization (NFV) based communication network

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

• computer code for determining, by a computer system, that a first processing power in a first hardware unit is being used by a first virtual network function (VNF) instance of a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network and that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet a required processing power of the first VNF instance;
• computer code for, in response to the determination that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet the required processing power of the first VNF instance, locating, by the computer system, a first communication link that exists between the first hardware unit and a second hardware unit and that has a surplus bandwidth capacity;
• computer code for determining, by the computer system, that a second processing power of the second hardware unit has a surplus capacity;
• computer code for determining, by the computer system, that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power to resolve the first hardware unit not meeting the required processing power of the first VNF instance;
• computer code for, in response to determining that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power, identifying, by the computer system, a second VNF instance operating in the second hardware unit that is consuming a bandwidth capacity of a second communication link of the second hardware unit;
• computer code for determining, by the computer system, that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit;
• determining, by the computer system, that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link;
• computer code for, in response to determining that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit and that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link, migrating, by the computer system, the second VNF instance to the first hardware unit and then migrating the first VNF instance to the second hardware unit, such that after the migration of the second VNF instance the second VNF instance consumes the bandwidth capacity of the first communication link and after the migration of the first VNF instance, the first VNF instance consumes the second processing power of the second hardware unit.

A system comprising:

• a memory system;
• and
• one or more processing cores coupled to the memory system and that are each configured to:
• determine that a first processing power in a first hardware unit is being used by a first virtual network function (VNF) instance of a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network and that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet a required processing power of the first VNF instance;
• in response to the determination that the first processing power in the first hardware unit does not meet the required processing power of the first VNF instance, locate a first communication link that exists between the first hardware unit and a second hardware unit and that has a surplus bandwidth capacity;
• determine that a second processing power of the second hardware unit has a surplus capacity;
• determine that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power to resolve the first hardware unit not meeting the required processing power of the first VNF instance;
• in response to determining that the first processing power is not capable of being traded with the second processing power, identify a second VNF instance operating in the second hardware unit that is consuming a bandwidth capacity of a second communication link of the second hardware unit;
• determine that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit;
• determine that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link;
• in response to determining that all resources required by the second VNF instance are available in the first hardware unit and that the first processing power is capable of being traded with the bandwidth capacity of the second communication link, migrate the second VNF instance to the first hardware unit and then migrating the first VNF instance to the second hardware unit, such that after the migration of the second VNF instance the second VNF instance consumes the bandwidth capacity of the first communication link and after the migration of the first VNF instance, the first VNF instance consumes the second processing power of the second hardware unit.