Wireless network slice distributed ledger
A wireless communication network implements a wireless network slice that has a slice configuration. A slice controller signals a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Management and Orchestration (MANO) to implement a Network Service Descriptor (NSD) for the slice based on the slice configuration. The NFV MANO signals an NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) to execute Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) for the slice based on the NSD. The NFVI executes the VNFs, and the VNFs handle user data for wireless user devices that use the slice. The VNFs generate and transfer slice data responsive to handling the user data. The wireless user devices generate and transfer slice data responsive to using the slice. Wireless access points generate and transfer slice data responsive to serving the user devices. A distributed ledger receives the slice data, forms a consensus for the slice data, and stores the slice data in a distributed ledger format.
1. A method of operating a wireless communication network to implement a wireless communication network slice that has a slice configuration, the method comprising:
a network slice controller signaling a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Management and Orchestration (MANO) system to implement a Network Service Descriptor (NSD) for the wireless communication network slice based on the slice configuration;
the NFV MANO system signaling an NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) to execute NFV Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) for the wireless communication network slice based on the NSD;
the NFVI executing the NFV VNFs responsive to the NFV MANO signaling;
the executing NFV VNFs handling user data for wireless user devices that use the wireless network slice, generating NFV slice data responsive to handling the user data, and transferring the NFV slice data for delivery to a distributed ledger;
the distributed ledger receiving the NFV slice data from the executing VNFs for the wireless communication network slice, forming a consensus for the NFV slice data, and responsively storing the NFV slice data in a distributed ledger format;
the distributed ledger receiving user slice data from the wireless user devices that use the wireless network slice, forming a consensus for the user slice data, and responsively storing the user slice data in the distributed ledger format; and
the distributed ledger receiving access slice data from the wireless access points that serve the wireless user devices, forming a consensus for the access slice data, and responsively storing the access slice data in the distributed ledger format.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the distributed ledger processing the NFV slice data from the executing VNFs and responsively generating and transferring NFV slice information for delivery to the network slice controller.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the network slice controller receiving the NFV slice information and modifying the slice configuration based on the NFV slice information.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the distributed ledger processing the user slice data from the wireless user devices and responsively generating user slice information and transferring the user slice information for delivery to the network slice controller.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the network slice controller receiving the user slice information and modifying the slice configuration based on the user slice information.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the distributed ledger processing the access slice data from the wireless access points and responsively generating access slice information and transferring the access slice information for delivery to the network slice controller.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the network slice controller modifying the slice configuration based on the access slice information.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
the distributed ledger processing the NFV slice data from the executing VNFs and responsively generating and transferring NFV slice information for delivery to the network slice controller;
the distributed ledger processing the user slice data from the wireless user devices and responsively generating user slice information and transferring the user slice information for delivery to the network slice controller;
the distributed ledger processing the access slice data from the wireless access points and responsively generating access slice information and transferring the access slice information for delivery to the network slice controller.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
the network slice controller receiving the NFV slice information, the user slice information, and the access slice information; and
the network slice controller modifying the slice configuration based on the NFV slice information, the user slice information, and the access slice information.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the NFV slice data stored in the distributed ledger indicates the VNFs in the wireless communication network slice;
the user slice data stored in the distributed ledger indicates the wireless user devices that use the wireless communication network slice; and
the access slice data stored in the distributed ledger indicates the wireless access points that serve the wireless user devices.
11. A wireless communication network to implement a wireless communication network slice that has a slice configuration, the wireless communication network comprising:
a network slice controller configured to signal a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Management and Orchestration (MANO) system to implement a Network Service Descriptor (NSD) for the wireless communication network slice based on the slice configuration;
the NFV MANO system configured to signal an NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) to execute NFV Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) for the wireless communication network slice based on the NSD;
the NFVI configured to execute the NFV VNFs responsive to the NFV MANO signaling;
the NFV VNFs configured to handle user data for wireless user devices that use the wireless network slice, generate NFV slice data responsive to handling the user data, and transfer the NFV slice data for delivery to a distributed ledger;
the distributed ledger configured to receive the NFV slice data from the VNFs for the wireless communication network slice, form a consensus for the NFV slice data, and responsively store the NFV slice data in a distributed ledger format;
the distributed ledger configured to receive user slice data from the wireless user devices that use the wireless network slice, form a consensus for the user slice data, and responsively store the user slice data in the distributed ledger format; and
the distributed ledger configured to receive access slice data from the wireless access points that serve the wireless user devices, form a consensus for the access slice data, and responsively store the access slice data in the distributed ledger format.
12. The wireless communication network of claim 11 further comprising the distributed ledger configured to process the NFV slice data from the VNFs and responsively generate and transfer NFV slice information for delivery to the network slice controller.
13. The wireless communication network of claim 12 further comprising the network slice controller configured to receive the NFV slice information and modify the slice configuration based on the NFV slice information.
14. The wireless communication network of claim 11 further comprising the distributed ledger configured to process the user slice data from the wireless user devices and responsively generate user slice information and transfer the user slice information for delivery to the network slice controller.
15. The wireless communication network of claim 14 further comprising the network slice controller configured to receive the user slice information and modify the slice configuration based on the user slice information.
16. The wireless communication network of claim 11 further comprising the distributed ledger configured to process the access slice data from the wireless access points and responsively generate access slice information and transfer the access slice information for delivery to the network slice controller.
17. The wireless communication network of claim 16 further comprising the network slice controller configured to modify the slice configuration based on the access slice information.
18. The wireless communication network of claim 11 further comprising:
the distributed ledger configured to process the NFV slice data from the VNFs and responsively generate and transfer NFV slice information for delivery to the network slice controller;
the distributed ledger configured to process the user slice data from the wireless user devices and responsively generate and transfer user slice information for delivery to the network slice controller; and
the distributed ledger configured to process the access slice data from the wireless access points and responsively generate and transfer access slice information for delivery to the network slice controller.
19. The wireless communication network of claim 18 further comprising:
the network slice controller configured to receive the NFV slice information, the user slice information, and the access slice information; and
the network slice controller configured to modify the slice configuration based on the NFV slice information, the user slice information, and the access slice information.
20. The wireless communication network of claim 11 wherein:
the NFV slice data stored in the distributed ledger indicates the VNFs in the wireless communication network slice;
the user slice data stored in the distributed ledger indicates the wireless user devices that use the wireless communication network slice; and
the access slice data stored in the distributed ledger indicates the wireless access points that serve the wireless user devices.