System, method, and computer program for optimizing a chain of virtual network functions in a network based on network function virtualization (NFV)

A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, including computer code executed by a computer processor to perform a method comprising:

• identifying, by the computer processor, a service to be provisioned in a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network comprising a plurality of computing-related units and communication links in-between, the service to be provisioned as a chain of virtual network function (VNF) instances;
• determining, by the computer processor, at least one first performance requirement independently configured for each of the VNF instances;
• determining, by the computer processor, at least one second performance requirement configured for the chain of VNF instances;
• selecting, by the computer processor, a portion of the NFV-based communication network in which to deploy the service, based on performance characteristics of the portion of the NFV-based communication network satisfying the at least one first performance requirement and the at least one second performance requirement, the portion of the NFV-based communication network having one or more of:
• at least one computing-related unit of the plurality of computing-related units, and
• at least one communication link of the communication links;
• and
• deploying the service using the selected portion of the NFV-based communication network.

A system, the system comprising:

• a memory system;
• and
• one or more processing cores coupled to the memory system and that are each configured to:
• identify a service to be provisioned in a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network comprising a plurality of computing-related units and communication links in-between, the service to be provisioned as a chain of virtual network function (VNF) instances;
• determine at least one first performance requirement independently configured for each of the VNF instances;
• determine at least one second performance requirement configured for the chain of VNF instances;
• select a portion of the NFV-based communication network in which to deploy the service, based on performance characteristics of the portion of the NFV-based communication network satisfying the at least one first performance requirement and the at least one second performance requirement, the portion of the NFV-based communication network having one or more of:
• at least one computing-related unit of the plurality of computing-related units, and
• at least one communication link of the communication links;
• and
• deploy the service using the selected portion of the NFV-based communication network.