System, method, and computer program for selecting at least one new physical element and/or virtual element for use in a system including a network function virtualization orchestrator (NFV-O)

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

• computer code for identifying, by a computer processor through a Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator (NFV-O) module of a NFV-based network, information corresponding to data traffic associated with the NFV-based network system, the NFV-O module being operable to manage data flow associated with one or more Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) existing in the NFV-based network system and one or more physical elements existing in the NFV-based network system;
• computer code for determining, by the computer processor through the NFV-O module, an expected usage of the NFV-based network system based on the information corresponding to the data traffic;
• computer code for determining, by the computer processor through the NFV-O module, that the expected usage of the NFV-based network system exceeds a capacity of existing components of the NFV-based network system;
• computer code for, when the computer processor determines that the expected usage of the NFV-based network system exceeds a capacity of existing components of the NFV-based network system, determining to implement in the NFV-based network system to handle the expected usage, by the computer processor through the NFV-O module, at least one of:
• one or more new physical elements, and
• one or more new VNFs;
• computer code for determining, by the computer processor through the NFV-O module, a cost of implementing the one or more new physical elements in the NFV-based network system to handle the expected usage, a cost of implementing the one or more new VNFs in the NFV-based network system to handle the expected usage, and a cost of implementing a combination of the one or more new physical elements and the one or more new VNFs in the NFV-based network system to handle the expected usage;
• and
• computer code for selecting to implement in the NFV-based network system, by the computer processor through the NFV-O module based at least partially on the determined cost of implementing the one or more new physical elements, the cost of implementing the one or more new VNFs, and the cost of implementing the combination of the one or more new physical elements and the one or more new VNFs, at least one of:
• the one or more new physical elements, and
• the one or more new VNFs;
• wherein the one or more new physical elements are selected to implement in the NFV-based network system when the cost of implementing the one or more new physical elements is less than the cost of implementing the one or more new VNFs;
• wherein the one or more new VNFs are selected to implement in the NFV-based network system when the cost of implementing the one or more new VNFs is less than the cost of implementing the one or more new physical elements;
• wherein the combination of the one or more new physical elements and the one or more new VNFs is selected to implement in the NFV-based network system when the cost of implementing the combination is less than the cost of implementing only the one or more new physical elements and is less than the cost of implementing only the one or more new VNFs.

A computer system comprising:

• a memory system;
• and
• one or more processing cores coupled to the memory system and that are each configured to:
• identify, through a Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator (NFV-O) module of a NFV-based network, information corresponding to data traffic associated with the NFV-based network system, the NFV-O module being operable to manage data flow associated with one or more Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) existing in the NFV-based network system and one or more physical elements existing in the NFV-based network system;
• determine, through the NFV-O module, an expected usage of the NFV-based network system based on the information corresponding to the data traffic;
• determine, through the NFV-O module, that the expected usage of the NFV-based network system exceeds a capacity of existing components of the NFV-based network system;
• when the computer processor determines that the expected usage of the NFV-based network system exceeds a capacity of existing components of the NFV-based network system, determine to implement, in the NFV-based network system to handle the expected usage, through the NFV-O module, at least one of:
• one or more new physical elements, and
• one or more new VNFs;
• determine, through the NFV-O module, a cost of implementing the one or more new physical elements in the NFV-based network system to handle the expected usage, a cost of implementing the one or more new VNFs in the NFV-based network system to handle the expected usage, and a cost of implementing a combination of the one or more new physical elements and the one or more new VNFs in the NFV-based network system to handle the expected usage;
• and
• select to implement in the NFV-based network system, through the NFV-O module based at least partially on the determined cost of implementing the one or more new physical elements, the cost of implementing the one or more new VNFs, and the cost of implementing the combination of the one or more new physical elements and the one or more new VNFs, at least one of:
• the one or more new physical elements, and
• the one or more new VNFs;
• wherein the one or more new physical elements are selected to implement in the NFV-based network system when the cost of implementing the one or more new physical elements is less than the cost of implementing the one or more new VNFs;
• wherein the one or more new VNFs are selected to implement in the NFV-based network system when the cost of implementing the one or more new VNFs is less than the cost of implementing the one or more new physical elements;
• wherein the combination of the one or more new physical elements and the one or more new VNFs is selected to implement in the NFV-based network system when the cost of implementing the combination is less than the cost of implementing only the one or more new physical elements and is less than the cost of implementing only the one or more new VNFs.