Method, system controller, and computer program for selection of system operational action in a communication system

1 . A method for selection of system operational action in a communication system, the method being performed by a system controller, the method comprising:

obtaining operation and maintenance data identifying current system conditions in the communication system;

determining, based on the obtained operation and maintenance data, a set of system operational actions that are candidates to be performed, wherein each of the system operational actions, for given system conditions, impacts system operational characteristics of the communication system according to quantitative outcomes with associated probabilities, and wherein each of the system operational actions provides a system operation utility in the communication system;

determining, as a function of the quantitative outcomes and the associated probabilities of impacting the system operational characteristics for the given system conditions, a utility score for each of the system operational actions;

selecting the system operational action with highest utility score; and

initiating execution of the selected system operational action in the communication system, wherein initiating execution is performed after selecting the system operational action with the highest utility score, and wherein initiating execution of the selected system operational action involves sending, by the system controller, an execution trigger to an access network node and/or an OSS/BSS node in the communication system to execute the selected system operational action such that the execution trigger directly causes performance of the selected system operational action, and

wherein to which access network node and/or an OSS/BSS node the execution trigger is sent is independent of which system operational action is selected.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the system operation utility is a function of the quantitative outcomes and the associated probabilities.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the utility score represents an expected value of the system operation utility for the system operational characteristics for the given system conditions.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein, when there are at least two types system operational characteristics per system operational action, an individual utility score is determined for each type of system operational characteristics, and wherein the expected value of the system operation utility is determined as a function of all the individual utility scores.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the system operational characteristics is weighted with its own weighting factor when the utility score is determined.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the operation and maintenance data comprises any of: performance counters, alarms, log files, or any combination thereof, collected from the communication system.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the system operational actions pertains to any of: resource scaling, load regulation, suspend quota management, or any combination thereof, in the communication system.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the system operational characteristics pertain to any of: throughput, latency, reliability, user service category, rejected traffic rate, suspended quota management traffic, energy consumption.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the quantitative outcomes of the system operational characteristics pertain to any of: level of throughput, level of latency, level of reliability, available user service categories, level of rejected traffic rate, amount of suspended quota management traffic, amount of energy consumed in the communication system.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the system operation utility for each of the system operational characteristics takes a value within a normalized interval.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the quantitative outcomes and the associated probabilities have values that are computed in real time or non-real time.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is executed either at regular time intervals, or upon the system controller having received information that triggers execution of the method, or a combination thereof.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the quantitative outcomes and their associated probabilities are, based on input to the system controller, updated over time.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein amount of impact the system operational actions have on the system operational characteristics of the communication system changes over time.

15 . A system controller for selection of system operational action in a communication system, the system controller comprising processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to cause the system controller to:

obtain operation and maintenance data identifying current system conditions in the communication system;

determine, based on the obtained operation and maintenance data, a set of system operational actions that are candidates to be performed, wherein each of the system operational actions, for given system conditions, impacts system operational characteristics of the communication system according to quantitative outcomes with associated probabilities, and wherein each of the system operational actions provides a system operation utility in the communication system;

determine, as a function of the quantitative outcomes and the associated probabilities of impacting the system operational characteristics for the given system conditions, a utility score for each of the system operational actions;

select the system operational action with highest utility score; and

initiate execution of the selected system operational action in the communication system,

wherein initiating execution is performed after selecting the system operational action with the highest utility score, and wherein initiating execution of the selected system operational action involves sending, by the system controller, an execution trigger to an access network node and/or an OSS/BSS node in the communication system to execute the selected system operational action such that the execution trigger directly causes performance of the selected system operational action, and

wherein to which access network node and/or an OSS/BSS node the execution trigger is sent is independent of which system operational action is selected.

16 . A system controller for selection of system operational action in a communication system, the system controller comprising:

an obtain module configured to obtain operation and maintenance data identifying current system conditions in the communication system;

a first determine module configured to determine, based on the obtained operation and maintenance data, a set of system operational actions that are candidates to be performed, wherein each of the system operational actions, for given system conditions, impacts system operational characteristics of the communication system according to quantitative outcomes with associated probabilities, and wherein each of the system operational actions provides a system operation utility in the communication system;

a second determine module configured to determine, as a function of the quantitative outcomes and the associated probabilities of impacting the system operational characteristics for the given system conditions, a utility score for each of the system operational actions;

a select module configured to select the system operational action with highest utility score; and

an initiate module configured to initiate execution of the selected system operational action in the communication system, wherein initiating execution is performed after selecting the system operational action with the highest utility score, and wherein initiating execution of the selected system operational action involves sending, by the system controller, an execution trigger to an access network node and/or an OSS/BSS node in the communication system to execute the selected system operational action such that the execution trigger directly causes performance of the selected system operational action, and

wherein to which access network node and/or an OSS/BSS node the trigger is sent is independent of which system operational action is selected.

17 . The system controller according to claim 16 , further being configured to perform operations of:

obtaining operation and maintenance data identifying current system conditions in the communication system;

determining, based on the obtained operation and maintenance data, a set of system operational actions that are candidates to be performed, wherein each of the system operational actions, for given system conditions, impacts system operational characteristics of the communication system according to quantitative outcomes with associated probabilities, and wherein each of the system operational actions provides a system operation utility in the communication system;

determining, as a function of the quantitative outcomes and the associated probabilities of impacting the system operational characteristics for the given system conditions, a utility score for each of the system operational actions;

selecting the system operational action with highest utility score; and

initiating execution of the selected system operational action in the communication system, wherein the system operation utility is a function of the quantitative outcomes and the associated probabilities.