Monitoring VNFCs that are composed of independently manageable software modules

1. A system, comprising:

at least one physical computer 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;

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 and the custom LCM script, to:

create a VNFC monitor, 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 VNFC monitor, the VNFM 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 VNFC monitor, the VNFM 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 VNFC monitor, the VNFM 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 VNFC monitor, the VNFM further is to: initiate a status polling process based on a polling frequency parameter contained in the VNFC 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 LCM script; creating, by the VNFM, a VNFC monitor;

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 and that comprise a virtual network function component instance (VNFCI) in 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 VNFC 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 executed by a processor of a Virtual Network Function Manager (VNFM) that resides in a virtualization environment cause the processor to perform:

receiving a request to create a virtual network function component (VNFCO) monitor from a management element and a custom LCM script;

creating a VNFC monitor; and

sending 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 and that comprise a 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 VNFC 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.