Network slicing capacity planning based on throughput variation and latency variation
A network device determines at least one of throughput variation and latency variation associated with at least one flow transiting a network slice of a mobile network. The network device compares the at least one of the throughput variation and the latency variation with performance requirements of the network slice, and determines, based on the comparing, network slice resources needed for capacity planning of the network slice. The network device adds or removes network slice resources from the network slice based on the determined network slice resources.
1 . A method, comprising:
determining at least one of throughput variation or latency variation associated with at least one flow transiting a network slice of a mobile network,
wherein determining the throughput variation comprises determining differences between adjacent throughput measurements in a series of multiple successive throughput measurements and using a fading timing factor to apply a highest weight factor to a most recent throughput variation that comprises a difference between most recent adjacent throughput measurements, and
wherein determining the latency variation comprises determining differences between adjacent latency measurements in a series of multiple successive latency measurements and using the fading timing factor to apply the highest weight factor to a most recent latency variation that comprises a difference between most recent adjacent latency measurements;
comparing the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation with performance requirements of the network slice;
determining, based on the comparing, network slice resources needed for capacity planning of the network slice; and
adding or removing network slice resources from the network slice based on the determined network slice resources.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation further comprises:
determining trends of at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation associated with the at least one flow transiting the network slice; and
forecasting at least one of future throughput variation or future latency variation associated with the network slice.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the comparing further comprises:
comparing the trends of the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation and the forecasts of the at least one of the future throughput variation or the future latency variation with the performance requirements of the network slice.
4 . The method of claim 1 , where the determining the network slice resources further comprises:
determining current and future network slice resources for the capacity planning of the network slice, and
wherein the adding or removing the network slice resources is further based on the determined current and future network slice resources.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the throughput variation (ThroughputVariation) uses the following relation:
ThroughputVariation
j
=
∑
n
=
1
Nt
-
1
λ
n
(
Throughput
j
-
n
-
1
-
Throughput
j
-
n
)
where Nt is a number of successive throughput measurements of the series of multiple successive throughput measurements,
Throughput j is a throughput measurement at a time j, and
λ is the fading timing factor that applies the highest weight factor to the most recent throughput variation.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the latency variation (LatencyVariation) uses the following relation:
LatencyVariation
j
=
∑
n
=
1
Nl
-
1
λ
n
(
Latency
j
-
n
-
1
-
Latency
j
-
n
)
where Nl is a number of successive latency measurements of the series of multiple successive latency measurements,
Latency j is a latency measurement at a time j, and
λ is the fading timing factor that applies the highest weight factor to the most recent latency variation.
7 . A network device, comprising:
at least one communication interface configured to communicate via a mobile network; and
at least one processor configured to:
determine at least one of throughput variation or latency variation associated with at least one flow transiting a network slice of a mobile network,
wherein, when determining the throughput variation, that least one processor is further configured to determine differences between adjacent throughput measurements in a series of multiple successive throughput measurements and use a fading timing factor to apply a highest weight factor to a most recent throughput variation that comprises a difference between most recent adjacent throughput measurements, and
wherein, when determining the latency variation, the at least one processor is further configured to determine differences between adjacent latency measurements in a series of multiple successive latency measurements and use the fading timing factor to apply the highest weight factor to a most recent latency variation that comprises a difference between most recent adjacent latency measurements,
compare the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation with performance requirements of the network slice,
determine, based on the comparing, network slice resources needed for capacity planning of the network slice, and
cause network slice resources to be added or removed from the network slice based on the determined network slice resources.
8 . The network device of claim 7 , wherein, when determining the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation, the at least one process is further configured to:
determine trends of at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation associated with the at least one flow transiting the network slice, and
forecast at least one of future throughput variation or future latency variation associated with the network slice.
9 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein, when comparing the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation with performance requirements of the network slice, the at least one processor is further configured to:
compare the trends of the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation and the forecasts of the at least one of the future throughput variation or the future latency variation with the performance requirements of the network slice.
10 . The network device of claim 7 , where, when determining the network slice resources, the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine current and future network slice resources for the capacity planning of the network slice, and
wherein the adding or removing the network slice resources is further based on the determined current and future network slice resources.
11 . The network device of claim 7 , wherein, when determining the throughput variation (ThroughputVariation), the at least one processor uses the following relation:
ThroughputVariation
j
=
∑
n
=
1
Nt
-
1
λ
n
(
Throughput
j
-
n
-
1
-
Throughput
j
-
n
)
where Nt is a number of successive throughput measurements of the series of multiple successive throughput measurements,
Throughput j is a throughput measurement at a time j, and
λ is the fading timing factor that applies the highest weight factor to the most recent throughput variation.
12 . The network device of claim 7 , wherein, when determining the latency variation (LatencyVariation), the at least one processor uses the following relation:
LatencyVariation
j
=
∑
n
=
1
Nl
-
1
λ
n
(
Latency
j
-
n
-
1
-
Latency
j
-
n
)
where Nl is a number of successive latency measurements of the series of multiple successive latency measurements,
Latency j is a latency measurement at a time j, and
λ is the fading timing factor that applies the highest weight factor to the most recent latency variation.
13 . A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by a network device, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to cause the network device to:
determine at least one of throughput variation or latency variation associated with at least one flow transiting a network slice of a mobile network,
wherein the instructions to cause the network device to determine the throughput variation further comprise instructions to cause the network device to determine differences between adjacent throughput measurements in a series of multiple successive throughput measurements and use a fading timing factor to apply a highest weight factor to a most recent throughput variation that comprises a difference between most recent adjacent throughput measurements, and
wherein the instructions to cause the network device to determine the latency variation further comprise instructions to cause the network device to determine differences between adjacent latency measurements in a series of multiple successive latency measurements and use the fading timing factor to apply the highest weight factor to a most recent latency variation that comprises a difference between most recent adjacent latency measurements,
compare the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation with performance requirements of the network slice;
determine, based on the comparing, network slice resources needed for capacity planning of the network slice; and
add or remove network slice resources from the network slice based on the determined network slice resources.
14 . The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to cause the network device to:
determine trends of at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation associated with the at least one flow transiting the network slice; and
forecast at least one of future throughput variation or future latency variation associated with the network slice.
15 . The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions to cause the network device to compare the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation further comprise instructions to cause the network device to:
compare the trends of the at least one of the throughput variation or the latency variation and the forecasts of the at least one of the future throughput variation or the future latency variation with the performance requirements of the network slice.
16 . The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13 , where the instructions to cause the network device to determine the network slice resources further comprise instructions to cause the network device to:
determine current and future network slice resources for the capacity planning of the network slice, and
wherein the adding or removing the network slice resources is further based on the determined current and future network slice resources.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the throughput variation further comprises using the fading time factor to apply a lesser weighted factor to a less recent throughput variation that comprises a difference between less recent adjacent throughput measurements, and
wherein determining the latency variation further comprises using the fading time factor to apply a lesser weighted factor to a less recent latency variation that comprises a difference between less recent adjacent latency measurements.
18 . The network device of claim 7 , wherein, when determining the throughput variation, the at least one processor is further configured to use the fading time factor to apply a lesser weighted factor to a less recent throughput variation that comprises a difference between less recent adjacent throughput measurements, and
wherein, when determining the latency variation, the at least one processor is further configured to use the fading time factor to apply a lesser weighted factor to a less recent latency variation that comprises a difference between less recent adjacent latency measurements.
19 . The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions to cause the network device to determine the throughput variation further comprise instructions to cause the network device to use the fading time factor to apply a lesser weighted factor to a less recent throughput variation that comprises a difference between less recent adjacent throughput measurements, and
wherein the instructions to cause the network device to determine the latency variation further comprise instructions to cause the network device to use the fading time factor to apply a lesser weighted factor to a less recent latency variation that comprises a difference between less recent adjacent latency measurements.
20 . The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions to cause the network device to determine the throughput variation (ThroughputVariation) further comprise instructions to cause the network device to use the following relation:
ThroughputVariation
j
=
∑
n
=
1
Nt
-
1
λ
n
(
Throughput
j
-
n
-
1
-
Throughput
j
-
n
)
where Nt is a number of successive throughput measurements of the series of multiple successive throughput measurements,
Throughput j is a throughput measurement at a time j, and
λ is the fading timing factor that applies the highest weight factor to the most recent throughput variation.