Monitoring VNFCs that are composed of independently manageable software modules

1. A system, comprising:

at least one physical compute node further comprising a processor coupled to a memory, and operationally configured to provide a virtualization environment comprising:

a virtual network function component instance (VNFCI) comprising a plurality of independently manageable VNFC modules, wherein the VNFC modules map to both a virtual machine and an operating system container and wherein the VNFCI includes a custom life cycle management (LCM) script that is specific to at least one of the VNFC modules and that is enabled to customize the handling of one or more VNFC module lifecycle events;

a management element in communication with the VNFCI; and

a Virtual Network Function Manager (VNFM) configured to:

receive, from the management element, a request to create a virtual network function component (VNFC) monitor, and in response to the request,

execute the custom LCM script, to:

create a VNFC monitor,

start the VNFC monitor in response to a start VNFC monitor request, and

send one or more state change notifications of logical and physical elements associated with the VNFCI to the management element via a VNFM cache, the one or more state change notifications including a status of one or more of the plurality of independently manageable VNFC modules.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, when the VNFM is to create the VNEC monitor, the VNEM further is to: generate a unique identification (ID) for the VNFC monitor; and

store the unique ID in the VNFC monitor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein, when the VNFM is to start the VNEC monitor, the VNEM further is to:

identify, based on the unique ID, the VNFM monitor from a VNFC monitor store that stores created VNFC monitors.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein, when the VNFM is to start the VNEC monitor, the VNEM further is to:

start the VNFC monitor in response to a VNFC monitor start request from the management element.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein, when the VNFM is to start the VNEC monitor, the VNEM further is to:

initiate a status polling process based on a polling frequency parameter contained in the VNEC monitor start request.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VNFM further is to:

poll the plurality of independently manageable VNFC modules to identify any status changes since a last poll, and

wherein the VNFM is to send the one or more state change notifications in response to an identified status change.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VNFM further is to:

stop the VNFC monitor in response to a stop request from the management element.

8. A method, for providing a virtualization environment in which a virtual network function component instance (VNFCI) resides, the method operational as executable code by a processor, comprising:

receiving, by a Virtual Network Function Manager (VNFM), a request to create a virtual network function component (VNFC) monitor from a management element and a custom life cycle management (LCM) script;

creating, by the VNFM, a VNFC monitor;

executing by the VNFM, the custom LCM script;

starting, by the VNFM, the VNFC monitor in response to a start VNFC monitor request; and

sending, by the VNFM, one or more state change notifications of logical and physical elements associated with the VNFCI to the management element via a VNFM cache, the one or more state change notifications including a status of one or more of a plurality of independently manageable VNFC modules that map to both a virtual machine and an operating system container and wherein the VNFCI includes the custom life cycle management (LCM) script that is specific to at least one of the VNFC modules and that is enabled to customize the handling of one or more VNFC module lifecycle events and that comprise the virtual network function component instance (VNFCI) in communication with the management element.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the creating a VNFC monitor further comprises:

generating a unique identification (ID) for the VNFC monitor; and

storing the unique ID in the VNFC monitor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the starting the VNFC monitor further comprises:

identifying, based on the unique ID, the VNFM monitor from a VNFC monitor store that stores created VNFC monitors.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein, when the starting the VNFC monitor further comprises:

starting the VNFC monitor in response to a VNFC monitor start request from the management element.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the starting the VNFC monitor further comprises:

initiating a status polling process based on a polling frequency parameter contained in the VNEC monitor start request.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

polling the plurality of independently manageable VNFC modules to identify any status changes since a last poll, and

wherein the sending the one or more state change notifications further comprises:

sending the one or more state change notifications in response to an identified status change.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

stopping the VNFC monitor in response to a stop request from the management element.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when read by a processor provides a virtualization environment in which a virtual network function component instance (VNFCI) resides, and cause the processor to perform:

receiving, by a Virtual Network Function Manager (VNFM), a request to create a virtual network function component (VNPC) monitor from a management element and a custom life cycle management (LCM) script;

creating, by the VNFM, the VNFC monitor;

executing by the VNFM, the custom LCM script;

starting, by the VNFM, a VNFC monitor in response to a start VNFC monitor request; and

sending, by the VNFM, one or more state change notifications of logical and physical elements associated with the VNFCI to the management element via a VNFM cache, the one or more state change notifications including a status of one or more of a plurality of independently manageable VNFC modules that map to both a virtual machine and an operating system container and wherein the VNFCI includes the custom life cycle management (LCM) script that is specific to at least one of the VNFC modules and that is enabled to customize the handling of one or more VNFC module lifecycle events and that comprise the virtual network function component instance (VNFCI) in in communication with the management element.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the creating a VNFC monitor further comprises:

generating a unique identification (ID) for the VNFC monitor; and

storing the unique ID in the VNFC monitor.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the starting the VNFC monitor further comprises:

identifying, based on the unique ID, the VNFM monitor from a VNFC monitor store that stores created VNFC monitors.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the starting the VNFC monitor further comprises:

starting the VNFC monitor in response to a VNFC monitor start request from the management element.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , the starting the VNFC monitor further comprises:

initiating a status polling process based on a polling frequency parameter contained in the VNEC monitor start request.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the processor to perform:

polling the plurality of independently manageable VNFC modules to identify any status changes since a last poll, and

wherein the sending the one or more state change notifications further comprises:

sending the one or more state change notifications in response to an identified status change.