Method and apparatus for selecting processing paths in a software defined network

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

comparing a first characteristic associated with a first service associated with a first communication device and first information associated with a plurality of network slices that are instantiated in the network for facilitating providing a plurality of available services via the network, wherein the first communication device is connected to the network via a default network slice comprising a set of virtual network functions;

selecting, according to the comparing of the first characteristic and the first information, a second network slice of the plurality of network slices that are instantiated in the network;

directing the default network slice to route a first portion of user plane communication traffic between the first communication device and the second network slice, while retaining a second portion of the user plane communication traffic between the first communication device and the default network slice according to a second characteristic of the first service, wherein the default network slice retains control plane processing for the first communication device;

directing the second network slice to facilitate providing the first service to the first communication device via the first portion of the user plane communication traffic routed between the first communication device and the second network slice;

determining anticipated resource usage information associated with the second network slice; and

instantiating a first virtual network function at the second network slice according to the anticipated resource usage information associated with the second network slice.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the set of virtual network functions comprises a mobility gateway function.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the default network slice determines the first characteristic associated with the first service.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the anticipated resource usage information is determined according to historical resource demand information associated with the network.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the default network slice facilitates anchoring of connectivity between the first communication device and the network.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the default network slice processes the user plane communication traffic prior to routing the user plane communication traffic between the first communication device and the second network slice.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise instantiating a third set of virtual network functions in the network.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise configuring the third set of virtual network functions to cooperatively facilitate the first service.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic associated with the first service comprises a policy capability achievable via the plurality of network slices.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic associated with the first service comprises a quality of service capability achievable via the plurality of network slices.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic associated with the first service comprises a data latency capability achievable via the plurality of network slices.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic associated with the first service comprises a billing capability achievable via the plurality of network slices.

13. A software defined network manager, 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, the operations comprising:

selecting, according to first information and a first characteristic of a first service associated with a first communication device, a second network slice of a plurality of network slices that are instantiated in the network for facilitating providing a plurality of available services via the network, wherein the first communication device is connected to the network via a first network slice comprising a set of virtual network functions, and wherein the first characteristic is associated with the plurality of network slices that are instantiated in the network for facilitating providing a plurality of available services via the network;

directing the first network slice to route a first portion of user plane communication traffic between the first communication device and the second network slice, while retaining a second portion of the user plane communication traffic between the first communication device and the first network slice according to a second characteristic of the first service, wherein the first network slice retains control plane processing for the first communication device;

directing the second network slice to facilitate providing the first service to the first communication device via the first portion of the user plane communication traffic;

determining anticipated resource usage information associated with the second network slice; and

instantiating a first virtual network function at the second network slice according to the anticipated resource usage information associated with the second network slice.

14. The software defined network manager of claim 13 , wherein the first network slice is a default network slice for facilitating a first connection of the first communication device to the network.

15. The software defined network manager of claim 13 , wherein the first network slice processes the user plane communication traffic prior to routing the user plane communication traffic between the first communication device and the second network slice.

16. The software defined network manager of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

instantiating a third set of virtual network functions in the network; and

configuring the third set of virtual network functions to cooperatively facilitate the first service.

17. The software defined network manager of claim 13 , wherein the first network slice facilitates anchoring of connectivity between the first communication device and the network.

18. A method, comprising:

selecting, by a processing system including a processor, according to a first characteristic of a first service associated with a first communication device and first information, a second network slice of a plurality of network slices for facilitating providing a plurality of available services via the network, wherein the first communication device is connected to the network via a first network slice comprising a set of virtual network functions, and wherein the first characteristic is associated with the plurality of network slices that are instantiated in the network for facilitating providing a plurality of available services via the network;

directing, by the processing system, the first network slice to route a first portion of user plane communication traffic between the first communication device and the second network slice, while retaining a second portion of the user plane communication traffic between the first communication device and the first network slice according to a second characteristic of the first service, wherein the first network slice retains control plane processing for the first communication device;

directing, by the processing system, the second network slice to facilitate providing the first service to the first communication device via the first portion of the user plane communication traffic;

determining, by the processing system, anticipated resource usage information associated with the second network slice; and

instantiating, by the processing system, a first virtual network function at the second network slice according to the anticipated resource usage information associated with the second network slice.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first network slice facilitates anchoring of connectivity between the first communication device and the network.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

instantiating, by the processing system, a third set of virtual network functions in the network; and

configuring, by the processing system, the third set of virtual network functions to cooperatively facilitate the first service.