Method and apparatus for managing data communications using communication thresholds

1. A gateway device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

storing non-time-sensitive data received from a group of communication devices in the memory;

providing information associated with receiving and storing of the non-time-sensitive data to a network device;

receiving an instruction from the network device that a threshold associated with the receiving and storing of the non-time-sensitive data has been satisfied; and

transmitting the non-time-sensitive data to an application server over a network connection, wherein the network connection is facilitated by the network device that allocates virtual network function resources for the network connection responsive to the threshold being satisfied, and wherein the network device tears down the virtual network function resources responsive to a completion of the transmitting of the non-time-sensitive data.

2. The gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the non-time-sensitive data comprises groups of the non-time-sensitive data, and wherein the operations further comprise prioritizing an order of delivery via the network connection for the groups of the non-time-sensitive data.

3. The gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is satisfied based on monitoring Input/Output Operations Per Second information.

4. The gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the virtual network function resources establish a virtual dedicated Serving-Packet Data Network Gateway for the network connection, and wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

5. The gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the virtual network function resources establish a virtual dedicated evolved Packet Data Gateway for the network connection, and wherein the network connection comprises a WiFi connection.

6. The gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the non-time-sensitive data from the group of communication devices is based on communications according to a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) specification.

7. The gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring for an undesired condition associated with a pre-configured connection between the gateway device and the application server, wherein the storing the non-time-sensitive data in the memory and the transmitting the non-time-sensitive data over the network connection are responsive to a detection of the undesired condition.

8. The gateway device of claim 1 , wherein a determination that the threshold associated with the receiving and storing of the non-time-sensitive data has been satisfied is based on the instruction received from the network device, and wherein the operations further comprise providing storage capacity data to the network device.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, information on reception and storage of non-time-sensitive data in a gateway device;

allocating, by the processing system, virtual network function resources for a network connection with the gateway device, responsive to a determination that a threshold associated with the information on reception and storage of the non-time-sensitive data in the gateway device has been satisfied;

facilitating establishment, by the processing system, of the network connection with the gateway device utilizing the virtual network function resources to provide for transmitting of the non-time-sensitive data from the gateway device to an application server; and

tearing down, by the processing system, the virtual network function resources responsive to a determination that the transmitting of the non-time-sensitive data from the gateway device to the application server via the network connection has been completed.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the non-time-sensitive data includes sensor information captured by sensors of a group of communication devices that communicated the sensor information to the gateway device.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the network connection comprises one of a Long Term Evolution connection or a Long Term Evolution in Unlicensed spectrum connection, and wherein the allocating of the virtual network function resources establishes a virtual dedicated Serving-Packet Data Network Gateway for the network connection.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the allocating the virtual network function resources for the network connection is responsive to another determination that another threshold associated with the non-time-sensitive data has been satisfied.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the allocating the virtual network function resources establishes a virtual dedicated evolved Packet Data Gateway for the network connection, and wherein the network connection comprises a WiFi connection.

14. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

monitoring, by the processing system, for an undesired condition associated with a pre-configured connection between the gateway device and the application server, wherein the allocating the virtual network function resources for the network connection with the gateway device is responsive to a detection of the undesired condition.

15. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

prioritizing, by the processing system, the allocating the virtual network function resources for the network connection with the gateway device over a request for allocation of the virtual network function resources for another network connection with another gateway device.

16. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

receiving, by the processing system, threshold data from the gateway device, wherein the threshold data is associated with receiving and storing of the non-time-sensitive data by the gateway device;

analyzing, by the processing system, the threshold data;

determining whether the threshold data indicates that the threshold has been satisfied; and

responsive to the determination that the threshold data indicates that the threshold has been satisfied, transmitting an instruction to the gateway device to transmit the non-time-sensitive data via the network connection.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

storing non-time-sensitive data received from a group of communication devices in a memory;

providing, to a network device, information associated with the storing of the non-time-sensitive data; and

responsive to receiving an instruction from the network device that a network connection has been established, transmitting the non-time-sensitive data over the network connection to an application server, wherein the network device sets up and allocates virtual network function resources for the network connection responsive to a threshold associated with the information has been satisfied, and wherein the network device tears down the virtual network function resources responsive to a determination that the transmitting of the non-time-sensitive data has been completed.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the non-time-sensitive data includes sensor information captured by sensors of the group of communication devices, wherein the non-time-sensitive data comprises groups of the non-time-sensitive data, and wherein the operations further comprise prioritizing an order of delivery via the network connection for the groups of the non-time-sensitive data.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring for an undesired condition associated with a pre-configured connection between the processing system and the application server, wherein the storing the non-time-sensitive data in the memory and the transmitting the non-time-sensitive data over the network connection are responsive to a detection of the undesired condition.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the determination that the threshold has been satisfied is based on monitoring Input/Output Operations Per Second information, and wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.