EMS assisted split-brain resolution in virtual network function components

1. A system, comprising:

a server hosting an element management system (EMS) controlling a fault handling process for one or more virtual network function component instances (VNFCIs); and

the one or more VNFCIs including a VNFCI and a peer VNFCI, wherein the VNFCI is in an Active operational state, and the system is configured to:

receive, by the VNFCI from the peer VNFCI, a heartbeat message indicating that the peer VNFCI is in an Active operational state;

send, by the VNFCI, a heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI indicating that the VNFCI is in the Active operational state;

send, by the VNFCI, a next state request message to the EMS, the next state request message including a parameter indicating a current operational state of the VNFCI;

start, by the VNFCI, a response timer;

send, by the VNFCI, a second heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI indicating that the VNFCI is in the Active operational state and that the VNFCI has a desired operational state of Active when the VNFCI receives a next state response message from the EMS and the next state response message indicates that a next state of the VNFCI is the Active operational state; and

transition the VNFCI to a Deactivating state when:

the response timer expires and the VNFCI is a preferred Standby instance; or

the VNFCI receives another next state response message from the EMS, and the another next state response message indicates that another next state of the VNFCI is a Standby state.

2. The system of claim 1 , further configured to: construct, by the VNFCI, the next state request message.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heartbeat message indicating that the peer VNFCI is in the Active operational state is stored in a heartbeat history in a datastore.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the VNFCI remains in the Active operational state when the second heartbeat message is sent to the peer VNFCI.

5. The system of claim 1 , further configured to:

when the VNFCI is transitioned to the Deactivating state, send, by the VNFCI, a third heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI indicating that an operational state of the VNFCI is deactivating and indicating that the VNFCI has a desired operational state of Standby.

6. The system of claim 5 , further configured to:

transition the VNFCI to the Standby state when the third heartbeat message is sent.

7. The system of claim 1 , further configured to:

stop the response timer when the next state response message is received from the EMS.

8. A method implemented via a server hosting an element management system (EMS) controlling a fault handling process for one or more virtual network function component instances (VNFCIs) including a VNFCI and a peer VNFCI, wherein the VNFCI is in an Active operational state, the method comprising:

receiving, by the VNFCI from the peer VNFCI, a heartbeat message indicating that the peer VNFCI is in an Active operational state;

sending, by the VNFCI, a heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI indicating that the VNFCI is in the Active operational state;

sending, by the VNFCI, a next state request message to the EMS, the next state request message including a parameter indicating a current operational state of the VNFCI;

starting, by the VNFCI, a response timer;

sending, by the VNFCI, a second heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI indicating that the VNFCI is in the Active operational state and that the VNFCI has a desired operational state of Active when the VNFCI receives a next state response message from the EMS and the next state response message indicates that a next state of the VNFCI is the Active operational state; and

transitioning the VNFCI to a Deactivating state when:

the response timer expires and the VNFCI is a preferred Standby instance; or

the VNFCI receives another next state response message from the EMS and the another next state response message indicates that another next state of the VNFCI is a Standby state.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

constructing, by the VNFCI, the next state request message.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

storing the heartbeat message indicating that the peer VNFCI is in the Active operational state in a heartbeat history in a datastore.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the VNFCI remains in the Active operational state when the second heartbeat message is sent to the peer VNFCI.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

when the VNFCI is transitioned to the Deactivating state, sending, by the VNFCI, a third heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI indicating that an operational state of the VNFCI is deactivating and indicating that the VNFCI has a desired operational state of Standby.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

transitioning the VNFCI to the Standby state when the third heartbeat message is sent.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

stop the response timer when the next state response message is received from the EMS.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

receiving, by a virtual network function component instance (VNFCI) in Active operational state from a peer VNFCI, a heartbeat message indicating that the peer VNFCI is in an Active operational state;

sending, by the VNFCI, a heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI indicating that the VNFCI is in the Active operational state;

sending, by the VNFCI, a next state request message to the EMS, the next state request message including a parameter indicating a current operational state of the VNFCI;

starting, by the VNFCI, a response timer;

sending, by the VNFCI, a second heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI indicating that the VNFCI is in the Active operational state and that the VNFCI has a desired operational state of Active when the VNFCI receives a next state response message from the EMS and the next state response message indicates that a next state of the VNFCI is the Active operational state; and

transitioning the VNFCI to a Deactivating state when:

the response timer expires and the VNFCI is the preferred Standby instance; or

the VNFCI receives another next state response message from the EMS and the another next state response message indicates that another next state of the VNFCI is a Standby state.

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

constructing, by the VNFCI, the next state request message.

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

storing the heartbeat message indicating that the peer VNFCI is in the Active operational state in a heartbeat history in a datastore.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the VNFCI remains in the Active operational state when the second heartbeat message is sent to the peer VNFCI.

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

when the VNFCI is transitioned to the Deactivating state, sending, by the VNFCI, a third heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI indicating that an operational state of the VNFCI is deactivating and indicating that the VNFCI has a desired operational state of Standby.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

transitioning the VNFCI to the Standby state when the third heartbeat message is sent.