Method and system for maintaining service continuity of a roaming user across multiple networks

1 . A method for maintaining service continuity of a roaming user across multiple networks, the method comprising:

receiving, by a network device, a request for handover of the roaming user from a source network to a target network, wherein the source network and target network are different PLMNs;

assessing, by the network device, a capability of the target network to accommodate the roaming user arriving from the source network based on at least one of a category of the roaming user, information related to one or more network slices entitled to the roaming user in the source network, and a plurality of services associated with the roaming user;

performing, by the network device, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) fulfilment negotiation by the target network with the source network, where the SLA fulfilment negotiation is performed based on the assessed capability of the target network and the plurality of services associated with the roaming user;

configuring, by the network device, the target network to facilitate the handover of the roaming user from the source network to the target network, wherein configuring the target network comprises assessing a level of impact occurring on one or more existing users, wherein the assessment is performed by:

determining, by the network device, the level of impact occurring on the one or more existing users at the target network based on one or more inputs from the source network, wherein the one or more inputs correspond to SLAs of services associated with the one or more existing users, and compliance to security and privacy restrictions requirements;

determining, by the network device, a service requirement set of the roaming user, the service requirement set comprising updates related to resource allocation, topology, and configuration of the target network;

identifying, by the network device, one or more options for implementing one or more updates based on a predefined threshold associated with the level of impact, wherein the level of impact is defined by policy or pre-provisioned inputs;

triggering, by the network device, the one or more updates to perform one or more changes at the target network based on the identified one or more options; and

implementing, by the network device, the one or more updates corresponding to the service requirement set in the target network while minimally impacting performance of the one or more existing users in the target network;

transferring, by the network device, the roaming user from the source network to the target network along with the plurality of services; and

monitoring, by the network device, efficacy of the service continuity for the transferred roaming user after the movement of the roaming user from the source network to the target network by assessing effectiveness and service continuity for one or more earlier handovers of previous one or more roaming users in the target network; and

changing predefined thresholds and parameters of the transferred roaming user's connection in the target network, based on the assessed effectiveness and the service continuity for the one or more earlier handovers.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of services comprises one or more services associated with the roaming user, one or more characteristics and SLAs of the roaming user, one or more active services associated with the roaming user, and security and privacy restrictions of the roaming user and of one or more of users in the target network sharing the one or more network slices with the roaming user.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein assessing the capability of the target network comprises:

receiving the plurality of service parameters associated with the roaming user from the source network to the target network; and

interpreting the received plurality of service parameters to assess capability of the target network to serve the roaming user while serving the one or more existing users in the target network, wherein the roaming user moves from one of the source network to the target network and a carrier network of a service provider to a first target network; and

assessing the level of impact of the one or more existing users sharing the one or more network slices with the roaming user in the target network.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the SLA fulfilment negotiation comprises:

evaluating capability of the target network to provide the service continuity to the roaming user, and one or more services associated with the roaming user bound with the performed SLA fulfilment negotiation, wherein the evaluated capability is any of a vital capability, a partial capability and a null capability.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the roaming user from the source network to the target network comprises:

assessing the service continuity of the transferred roaming user from the source network to the target network; and

executing one or more actions for maintaining the service continuity of the transferred roaming user, wherein the one or more actions comprises any or a combination of re-registration of the transferred roaming user, assigning higher entitlement to the transferred roaming user, resource scaling, resource healing, and mapping of the transferred roaming user to a different network slice.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the source network and the target network represents a unique public land mobile network (PLMN) of one or more PLMNs provided by a service provider or an enterprise private network, and wherein the PLMN for the source network is provided by a first service provider and the PLMN for the target network is provided by a second service provider.

7 . A system for maintaining service continuity of a roaming user across multiple networks, the system comprising

at least one processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores processor executable instructions, which, on execution, causes the processor to:

receive a request for handover of the roaming user from a source network to a target network, wherein the source network and target network are different PLMNs;

assess a capability of the target network to accommodate the roaming user arriving from the source network based on at least one of a category of the roaming user, information related to one or more network slices entitled to the roaming user in the source network, and a plurality of services associated with the roaming user;

perform a Service Level Agreement (SLA) fulfilment negotiation by the target network with the source network, wherein the SLA fulfilment negotiation is performed based on the assessed capability of the target network and the plurality of services associated with the roaming user;

configure the target network to facilitate the handover of the roaming user from the source network to the target network, wherein configuring the target network comprises assessing a level of impact occurring on one or more existing users, wherein the assessment is performed by:

determining the level of impact occurring on the one or more existing users at the target network based on one or more inputs from the source network, wherein the one or more inputs correspond to SLAs of services associated with the one or more existing users, and compliance to security and privacy restrictions requirements;

determining a service requirement set of the roaming user, the service requirement set comprising updates related to resource allocation, topology, and configuration of the target network;

identifying one or more options for implementing one or more updates based on a predefined threshold associated with the level of impact, wherein the level of impact is defined by policy or pre-provisioned inputs;

triggering the one or more updates to perform one or more changes at the target network based on the identified one or more options; and

implementing the one or more updates corresponding to the service requirement set in the target network while minimally impacting performance of the one or more existing users in the target network;

transfer the roaming user from the source network to the target network along with the plurality of services; and

monitor efficacy of the service continuity for the transferred roaming user after the movement of the roaming user from the source network to the target network by assessing effectiveness and service continuity for one or more earlier handovers of previous one or more roaming users in the target network; and

changing predefined thresholds and parameters of the transferred roaming user's connection in the target network, based on the assessed effectiveness and the service continuity for the one or more earlier handovers.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of services comprises one or more services associated with the roaming user, one or more characteristics and SLAs of the roaming user, one or more active services associated with the roaming user, and security and privacy restrictions of the roaming user and of one or more of users in the target network sharing the one or more network slices with the roaming user.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein, to assess the capability of the target network, the processor executable instructions further cause the processor to:

receive the plurality of service parameters associated with the roaming user from the source network to the target network; and

interpret the received plurality of service parameters to assess capability of the target network to serve the roaming user while serving the one or more existing users in the target network, wherein the roaming user moves from one of the source network to the target network and a carrier network of a service provider to the first target network; and

assessing the level of impact of the one or more existing users sharing the one or more network slices with the roaming user in the target network.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein, to perform the SLA fulfilment negotiation, the processor executable instructions further cause the processor to:

evaluate capability of the target network to provide the service continuity to the roaming user, and one or more services associated with the roaming user bound with the performed SLA fulfilment negotiation, wherein the evaluated capability is any of a vital capability, a partial capability and a null capability.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein, to transfer the roaming user from the source network to the target network, the processor executable instructions further cause the processor to:

assess the service continuity of the transferred roaming user from the source network to the target network; and

execute one or more actions for maintaining the service continuity of the transferred roaming user, wherein the one or more actions comprises any or a combination of re-registration of the transferred roaming user, assigning higher entitlement to the transferred roaming user, resource scaling, resource healing, and mapping of the transferred roaming user to a different network slice.

12 . The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein each of the source network and the target network represents a unique public land mobile network (PLMN) of one or more PLMNs provided by a service provider or an enterprise private network, and wherein the PLMN for the source network is provided by a first service provider and the PLMN for the target network is provided by a second service provider.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for maintaining service continuity of a roaming user across multiple networks, having stored thereon, a set of computer-executable instructions causing a computer comprising one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving a request for handover of the roaming user from a source network to a target network, wherein the source network and target network are different PLMNs;

assessing a capability of the target network to accommodate the roaming user arriving from the source network based on at least one of a category of the roaming user, information related to one or more network slices entitled to the roaming user in the source network, and a plurality of services associated with the roaming user;

performing a Service Level Agreement (SLA) fulfilment negotiation by the target network with the source network, where the SLA fulfilment negotiation is performed based on the assessed capability of the target network and the plurality of services associated with the roaming user;

configuring the target network to facilitate the handover of the roaming user from the source network to the target network, wherein configuring the target network comprises assessing a level of impact occurring on one or more existing users, wherein the assessment is performed by:

determining the level of impact occurring on the one or more existing users at the target network based on one or more inputs from the source network, wherein the one or more inputs correspond to SLAs of services associated with the one or more existing users, and compliance to security and privacy restrictions requirements;

determining, by the network device, a service requirement set of the roaming user, the service requirement set comprising updates related to resource allocation, topology, and configuration of the target network;

identifying one or more options for implementing one or more updates based on a predefined threshold associated with the level of impact, wherein the level of impact is defined by policy or pre-provisioned inputs;

triggering the one or more updates to perform one or more changes at the target network based on the identified one or more options; and

implementing, by the network device, the one or more updates corresponding to the service requirement set in the target network while minimally impacting performance of the one or more existing users in the target network;

transferring the roaming user from the source network to the target network along with the plurality of services; and

monitoring efficacy of the service continuity for the transferred roaming user after the movement of the roaming user from the source network to the target network by assessing effectiveness and service continuity for one or more earlier handovers of previous one or more roaming users in the target network; and

changing predefined thresholds and parameters of the transferred roaming user's connection in the target network, based on the assessed effectiveness and the service continuity for the one or more earlier handovers.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of services comprises one or more services associated with the roaming user, one or more characteristics and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) of the roaming user, one or more active services associated with the roaming user, and security and privacy restrictions of the roaming user and of one or more of users in the target network sharing the one or more network slices with the roaming user.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein assessing the capability of the target network comprises:

receiving the plurality of service parameters associated with the roaming user from the source network to the target network; and

interpreting the received plurality of service parameters to assess capability of the target network to serve the roaming user while serving the existing one or more of users in the target network, wherein the roaming user moves from one of the source network to the target network and a carrier network of a service provider to the first target network; and

assessing the level of impact of the one or more existing users sharing the one or more network slices with the roaming user in the target network.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein performing the SLA fulfilment negotiation comprises:

evaluating capability of the target network to provide the service continuity to the roaming user, and one or more services associated with the roaming user bound with the performed SLA fulfilment negotiation, wherein the evaluated capability is any of a vital capability, a partial capability and a null capability.