Lifecycle management parameter modeling for virtual network functions

1. One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause a network manager (“NM”) to:

generate a create managed object (“MO”) request to be sent to an element manager (“EM”) to request creation of an MO instance (“MOI”) for a managed object class, wherein the managed object class is related to a managed function information object class (“IOC”), and wherein the managed object class is to inherit attributes from the managed function IOC, the inherited attributes to indicate VNF descriptor (“VNFD”) identifier (“ID”) and a flavour ID; and

process a notification, received from the EM, of creation of the MOI.

2. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the MO request is to request instantiation of a virtual network function (“VNF”).

3. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 2 , wherein the VNFD ID is an identifier of a VNFD on which the VNF is based, the VNFD to include a plurality of attributes to define deployment or operational behaviour requirements of the VNF.

4. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 2 , wherein the flavour ID is an identifier of a deployment flavour (“DF”) of the VNF, the DF to include a plurality of attributes to define a specific deployment version of the VNF.

5. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the managed object class corresponds to a mobility management entity function, a serving gateway function, a packet gateway function, a policy charging and rules function, or an evolved packet data gateway function.

6. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause an integration reference point (“IRP”) manager of the NM to generate the create-MO request to be sent to an IRP agent of the EM.

7. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the inherited attributes indicate lifecycle management (“LCM”)-related parameters including the VNF descriptor ID and the flavour ID.

8. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the create-MO request to be sent to the EM via a basic configuration management integration reference point management interface.

9. One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause an element manager (“EM”) to:

process a create managed object (“MO”) request sent by a network manager (“NM”) to request creation of an MO instance (“MOI”) for a managed object class;

determine a managed function information object class (“IOC”) to which the managed object class is related;

determine, based on the managed function IOC, attributes that the managed object class is to inherit, the inherited attributes to indicate a virtual network function descriptor (“VNFD”) identifier (“ID”) and a flavour ID;

create and configure the MOI with the inherited attributes; and

generate a notification to notify the NM of creation of the MOI.

10. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the MO request is to request instantiation of a virtual network function (“VNF”).

11. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the VNFD ID is an identifier of a VNFD on which the VNF is based, the VNFD to include a plurality of attributes to define deployment or operational behavior requirements of the VNF.

12. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the flavour ID is an identifier of a deployment flavour (“DF”) of the VNF, the DF to include a plurality of attributes to define a specific deployment version of the VNF.

13. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the managed object class is a network function.

14. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause an integration reference point (“IRP”) agent of the EM to process the create-MO request received from an IRP manager of the NM and create and configure the MOL.

15. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the inherited attributes indicate lifecycle management (“LCM”)-related parameters including the VNFD ID and the flavour ID.

16. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the create-MO request to be sent to the EM via a basic configuration management integration reference point management interface.

17. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the EM to instantiate a virtual network function (“VNF”) based on the create-MO request.

18. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein to instantiate the VNF the instructions, when executed, further cause the EM to:

generate a create VNF request to be sent to a VNF Manager (“VNFM”) with the VNFD ID to create a VNF identifier;

process a create VNF response, received from the VNFM, with a VNF instance ID to indicate that the VNF identifier has been created;

generate an instantiate VNF request to be sent to the VNFM with the VNF instance ID to instantiate the VNF;

process an instantiate VNF response received from the VNFM with a lifecycle operation occurrence ID;

process a first notification received from the VNFM with the VNF instance ID that indicates a start of VNF instantiation; and

process a second notification received from the VNFM with the VNF instance ID to indicate a result of VNF instantiation.

19. A network manager (“NM”) comprising:

means for generating a create managed object (“MO”) request to be sent to an element manager (“EM”) to request creation of an MO instance (“MOI”) for a managed object class, wherein the managed object class is to inherit lifecycle management (“LCM”)-related parameters based on a relationship between the managed object class and an information object class (“IOC”), the inherited LCM-related parameters to include VNF descriptor (“VNFD”) identifier (“ID”) and a flavour ID; and

means for processing a notification, received from the EM, of creation of the MOI.

20. The NM of claim 19 , wherein the MO request is to request instantiation of a virtual network function (“VNF”) and the VNFD ID is an identifier of a VNFD on which the VNF is based, the VNFD to include a plurality of attributes to define deployment or operational behaviour requirements of the VNF.

21. The NM of claim 19 , wherein the MO request is to request instantiation of a virtual network function (“VNF”) and the flavour ID is an identifier of a deployment flavour (“DF”) of the VNF, the DF to include a plurality of attributes to define a specific deployment version of the VNF.

22. The NM of claim 19 , wherein the notification of creation of the MOI is received by the NM before instantiation of the VNF and the NM further comprises: means for processing a notification of modified attribute values for the MOI, the notification of modified attribute values for the MOI to include a VNF instance identifier.

23. An element manager (“EM”) comprising:

network interface circuitry to receive a create managed object (“MO”) request sent by a network manager (“NM”) to request creation of an MO instance (“MOI”) for a managed object class; and

processing circuitry coupled with the network interface circuitry to:

determine lifecycle-related management (“LCM”)-related parameters based on the create MO request and an association of the LCM-related parameters with an information object class (“IOC”), the LCM-related parameters to include a virtual network function descriptor (“VNFD”) identifier (“ID”) and a flavour ID;

create and configure the MOI with the LCM-related parameters; and

generate a notification to notify the NM of creation of the MOI;

wherein the network interface circuitry is to send the notification to the NM.

24. The EM of claim 23 , wherein the processing circuitry is to interpret the MO request to request instantiation of a virtual network function (“VNF”) and control the network interface circuitry to transmit a plurality of messages to a virtual network function manager (“VNFM”) to instantiate the VNF.

25. The EM of claim 23 , wherein the IOC is a managed element IOC, managed function IOC, or virtualization information IOC.