Managing resource utilization by multiple network slices
Next generation network architectures enable instantiation of network slices in which traffic may be transported via one or more virtual networks overlaying the physical network infrastructure. Multiple of such network slices may share a resource of a particular network function, such as a bandwidth, switching capacity, computing capacity and/or storage capacity of the network function. It may be desirable to provide guarantees on the minimum resource availability of the shared resource per network slice. Accordingly, a slice resource distribution function (SRDF) may be provided which may be configured manage the resource utilization of the shared resource which may safeguard guarantees on the minimum resource availability per network slice.
1. A system configured as a slice resource distribution function of a network function in a network, wherein the network supports instantiation of network slices which each comprise one or more virtual networks, wherein the system comprises:
a communication interface to the network function having a resource which is utilizable by multiple network slices and shared amongst the multiple network slices;
a processor subsystem configured to:
receive configuration data which is indicative of, for each of the multiple network slices, a minimum guaranteed resource availability which is guaranteed to a respective network slice for utilization of the resource;
and to manage a resource utilization of the resource by:
aggregating a current resource utilization by each of the multiple network slices to determine an overall resource utilization of the resource;
if the overall resource utilization is within a range of a maximum resource utilization level of the resource, reducing the resource utilization of at least one of the multiple network slices of which the resource utilization exceeds the minimum guaranteed resource availability guaranteed to the respective network slice;
wherein the network function is a virtual network function or a physical network function, providing a bandwidth, a switching capacity, a computing capacity, and/or a storage capacity.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the network comprises a slice management system for management of the multiple network slices, and wherein the processor subsystem is configured to:
receive the configuration data from the slice management system.
3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the processor subsystem is configured to:
send a resource reduction confirmation message to the slice management system, wherein the resource reduction confirmation message is indicative of the resource utilization by the at least one of the multiple network slices having been reduced.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the network function comprises a measurement function for determining the resource utilization of the resource of the network function, wherein the processor subsystem is configured to:
receive resource utilization data from the measurement function, wherein the resource utilization data is indicative of the resource utilization by each of the multiple network slices.
5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the configuration data comprises virtual network identifiers of the respective virtual networks of the multiple network slices, and wherein the resource utilization data is indicative of the resource utilization per virtual network by linking a determined resource utilization to a respective virtual network identifier.
6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the processor subsystem is configured to:
send a measurement instruction message to the measurement function to instruct the measurement function to determine the resource utilization by the multiple network slices, wherein the measurement instruction message comprises the virtual network identifiers of the respective virtual networks of the multiple network slices.
7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual network function is instantiated by a network function virtualization system of the network.
8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the physical network function is a switch or a router or a physical server.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the network function comprises a resource reduction function for reducing the resource utilization of the resource, wherein the processor subsystem is configured to:
send a resource reduction instruction message to the resource reduction function to instruct the resource reduction function to reduce the resource utilization by the at least one of the multiple network slices of which the resource utilization exceeds the minimum guaranteed resource availability.
10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor subsystem is configured to manage the resource utilization for multiple network functions by:
determining a respective overall resource utilization of a respective resource of each one of the multiple network functions; and
reducing or redistributing the overall resource utilization of at least one of the network functions if the overall resource utilization of the resource of said network function is within a range of a maximum resource utilization level of said resource.
11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor subsystem is configured to cross-correlate the resource utilization by network slices between the multiple network functions to identify of which network slice the resource utilization is to be reduced on the basis of the network slice being already limited in its resource utilization of a dependent resource of another network function.
12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the resource utilization of the resource which is managed by the system is at least one of:
a utilization of a bandwidth of the network function which is available for the transporting traffic of the multiple network slices;
a utilization of a switching capacity of the network function which is available for switching traffic of the multiple network slices;
a utilization of a computing capacity of the network function which is available for use by applications of the multiple network slices;
a utilization of a storage capacity of the network function which is available for use by applications of the multiple network slices.
13. A system representing a network function having a resource which is utilizable by multiple network slices and shared amongst the multiple network slices, the network function comprising the system according to claim 1 as a subsystem.
14. A computer-implemented method for providing slice resource distribution functionality in a network, wherein the network supports instantiation of network slices which each comprise one or more virtual networks, wherein the network comprises a network function having a resource which is utilizable by multiple network slices and shared amongst the multiple network slices, wherein the method comprises:
receiving configuration data which is indicative of, for each of the multiple network slices, a minimum guaranteed resource availability which is guaranteed to a respective network slice for utilization of the resource;
and managing a resource utilization of the resource by:
aggregating a current resource utilization by each of the multiple network slices to determine an overall resource utilization of the resource;
if the overall resource utilization is within a range of a maximum resource utilization level of the resource, reducing the resource utilization of at least one of the multiple network slices of which the resource utilization exceeds the minimum guaranteed resource availability guaranteed to the respective network slice;
wherein the network function is a virtual network function or a physical network function, providing a bandwidth, a switching capacity, a computing capacity, and/or a storage capacity.
15. A computer-readable medium comprising transitory or non-transitory data representing a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a processor system to perform the method according to claim 14 .