Dynamic slice priority handling

1. A network node configured as a slice priority management node for use with a communication network, the network node configured to:

receive, from a network services node, data indicating changes in network resources available for maintaining instantiated network slices in the communication network, the network services node configured to enable the instantiation of the network slices, each slice representing a virtual network;

based on the received data, identify a change in the network services node's ability to maintain the instantiated network slices;

notify a communication service provider of the change;

receive, from the communication service provider, slice priority data, the slice priority data indicating a preferred order of a portion of the network slices for allocating the network resources; and

forward an indication of the slice priority data to the network services node.

2. The network node according to claim 1 wherein the data received from the network services node indicates a lack of resources for maintaining the instantiated network slices or an abundance of resources for maintaining the instantiated network slices.

3. The network node according to claim 1 further configured, in response to receiving the slice priority data from the communication service provider, to:

determine if changing allocation of network resources based on the slice priority data corrects a resource problem; and

if changing the allocation of network resources based on the slice priority data does not correct the resource problem, notify the communication service provider.

4. The network node according to claim 1 wherein the data indicating changes in network resources is pushed to the network node from the network services node or received in response to a request from the network node to the network services node.

5. The network node according to claim 1 further configured to:

in identifying a change in the network services node's ability to maintain the instantiated network slices, determine there are insufficient resources available to maintain a slice associated with the communication service provider; and

only notify the communication service provider of the change in the network services node's ability to maintain the instantiated network slices if it is determined there are insufficient resources available to maintain the slice associated with the communication service provider.

6. The network node according to claim 1 wherein the data indicating changes in network resources available for maintaining instantiated network slices includes location information or subnet slice identifiers, where the location information and subnet slice identifiers indicate changes in network resources available to maintain instantiated subnet slices forming the network slices, and the network node is further configured to:

provide the location information or the subnet slice identifiers to the communication service provider;

receive subnet slice priority data from the communication service provider; and

forward an indication of the subnet slice priority data to the network services node.

7. The network node according to claim 1 where, in notifying the communication service provider of the change, the network node is configured to:

indicate an order with which slices associated with the communication service provider will be allocated resources by the network services node.

8. The network node of claim 7 wherein, in indicating an order with which slices associated with the communication service provider will be allocated resources by the network services node, the network node is configured to:

indicate the order using a mapping that numerically decouples priority indicators used by the network services node from priority indicators used by the communication service provider.

9. The network node according to claim 1 of the preceding claims further configured to:

store default slice priority data associated with the communication service provider; and

forward the default slice priority data to the network services node if the slice priority data is not received from the communication service provider.

10. The network node according to claim 1 of the preceding claims further configured to:

determine a proposed slice priority; and

provide the proposed slice priority to the communication service provider.

11. The network node according to claim 1 wherein the communication service provider is a first communication service provider and the portion of network slices is a first portion of network slices and the network node is further configured to:

notify a second communication service provider of the change;

receive, from the second communication service provider, slice priority data, the slice priority data received from the second communication service provider indicating a preferred order of a second portion of the network slices for allocating the network resources; and

forward an indication of the slice priority data received from the second communication service provider to the network services node.

12. The network node according to claim 11 further configured to:

determine if changing allocation of network resources based on the slice priority data received from the first communication service provider and the slice priority data received from the second communication service provider corrects a resource problem; and

if changing the allocation of network resources based on the slice priority data received from the first communication service provider and the slice priority data received from the second communication service provider does not correct the resource problem, notify the first communication service provider and the second communication service provider.

13. A communication network comprising a plurality of network nodes and configured to enable instantiation of network slices which represent virtual networks, the communication network comprising:

a slice priority management function configured to:

receive, from a network services node, data indicating changes in network resources available for maintaining instantiated network slices in the communication network, the network services node configured to enable the instantiation of the network slices, each slice representing a virtual network;

based on the received data, identify a change in the network services node's ability to maintain the instantiated network slices;

notify a communication service provider of the change;

receive, from the communication service provider, slice priority data, the slice priority data indicating a preferred order of a portion of the network slices for allocating the network resources; and

forward an indication of the slice priority data to the network services node.

14. A method for managing slice priority in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a network services node, data indicating changes in network resources available for maintaining instantiated network slices in the communication network, the network services node configured to enable the instantiation of the network slices, each slice representing a virtual network;

based on the received data, identifying a change in the network services node's ability to maintain the instantiated network slices;

notifying a communication service provider of the change;

receiving, from the communication service provider, slice priority data, the slice priority data indicating a preferred order of a portion of the network slices for allocating the network resources; and

forwarding an indication of the slice priority data to the network services node.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a processor system to:

receive, from a network services node, data indicating changes in network resources available for maintaining instantiated network slices in the communication network, the network services node configured to enable the instantiation of the network slices, each slice representing a virtual network;

based on the received data, identify a change in the network services node's ability to maintain the instantiated network slices;

notify a communication service provider of the change;

receive, from the communication service provider, slice priority data, the slice priority data indicating a preferred order of a portion of the network slices for allocating the network resources; and

forward an indication of the slice priority data to the network services node.