IP Library Granted Patent US 12,438,780
Granted Patent B2
US 12,438,780 · App. 18/270,902 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

System and method for draining of O-Cloud node

Inventors: Manmeet Singh Bhangu (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, IN); Pankaj Tanaji Shete (Tokyo, JP); Mohit Luthra (Tokyo, JP); Awn Muhammad (Tokyo, JP); Puneet Devadiga (Tokyo, JP)
Assignees: RAKUTEN MOBILE, INC.; RAKUTEN SYMPHONY, INC.
H04L41/0897H04L41/342
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,438,780
App. No.
18/270,902
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and an Service Management and Orchestration Framework (SMO) and O-Cloud to drain one or more O-Cloud Nodes based on recommendations from an rApp or manually by an O-Cloud Maintainer via the SMO. In particular, the method may include: receiving, by a SMO function, a first request or recommendation to drain at least one O-Cloud Node, the first request or recommendation being received from an rApp of a Non-Real-Time (Non-RT) RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) or from an O-Cloud Maintainer; transmitting, by the SMO function to an Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) and/or Deployment Management Services (DMS) via an O2 interface, a second request to drain the at least one O-Cloud Node based on the received first request or recommendation; and receiving, from the IMS/DMS, a first notification as to whether the at least one O-Cloud Node has been drained.

Claims (41)

1. A method for draining one or more Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Cloud (O-Cloud) Nodes, the method comprising:

receiving, by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework (SMO) function, a first request or recommendation to drain at least one O-Cloud Node, the first request or recommendation being received from an rApp of a Non-Real-Time (Non-RT) RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) or from an O-Cloud Maintainer, wherein draining the at least one O-Cloud Node comprises at least one of: migrating network functions or components of the network functions to another O-Cloud Node, relocating the network functions or the components of the network functions to another O-Cloud Node, or terminating all the network functions or all the components of the network functions of the O-Cloud Node;

transmitting, by the SMO function to an Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) and/or Deployment Management Services (DMS) via an O2 interface, a second request to drain the at least one O-Cloud Node based on the received first request or recommendation; and

receiving, from the IMS/DMS, a first notification as to whether the at least one O-Cloud Node has been drained,

wherein the SMO function is at least one of a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) and Network Function Orchestration (NFO).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second request is an instruction to drain a first O-Cloud Node of the at least one O-Cloud Node, wherein the first notification indicates that the first O-Cloud Node has been drained, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the SMO function to the IMS/DMS via the O2 interface, a third request to drain a second O-Cloud Node of the at least one O-Cloud Node based on the received first request or recommendation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first request or recommendation is based on metric and/or observability data received by the rApp or the O-Cloud Maintainer via O1- and/or O2-related services.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second request is transmitted by the SMO function to the IMS/DMS based on determining, by the SMO function, to accept the first request or recommendation to drain the at least one O-Cloud Node.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first notification indicates that the at least one O-Cloud Node was not drained or an exception occurred.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first notification indicates that the at least one O-Cloud Node was drained, and wherein the receiving the first notification comprises:

receiving, from the IMS/DMS by the SMO function via the O2 interface, the first notification that the at least one O-Cloud Node has been drained.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising:

notifying, by the SMO function, the rApp of the Non-RT RIC or the O-Cloud Maintainer that the at least one O-Cloud Node has been drained.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the draining the at least one O-Cloud Node further comprises at least one of: marking the at least one O-Cloud Node as unschedulable and setting the at least one O-Cloud Node to a maintenance mode.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first request or recommendation includes an identifier of the at least one O-Cloud Node to be drained.

10. An apparatus for draining one or more Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Cloud (O-Cloud) Nodes, the apparatus comprising:

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive, by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework (SMO) function, a first request or recommendation to drain at least one O-Cloud Node, the first request or recommendation being received from an rApp of a Non-Real-Time (Non-RT) RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) or from an O-Cloud Maintainer, wherein draining the at least one O-Cloud Node comprises at least one of: migrating network functions or components of the network functions to another O-Cloud Node, relocating the network functions or the components of the network functions to another O-Cloud Node, or terminating all the network functions or all the components of the network functions of the O-Cloud Node;

transmit, by the SMO function to an Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) and/or Deployment Management Services (DMS) via an O2 interface, a second request to drain the at least one O-Cloud Node based on the received first request or recommendation; and

receive, from the IMS/DMS, a first notification as to whether the at least one O-Cloud Node has been drained,

wherein the SMO function is at least one of a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) and Network Function Orchestration (NFO).

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the second request is an instruction to drain a first O-Cloud Node of the at least one O-Cloud Node, wherein the first notification indicates that the first O-Cloud Node has been drained, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

transmit, by the SMO function to the IMS/DMS via the O2 interface, a third request to drain a second O-Cloud Node of the at least one O-Cloud Node based on the received first request or recommendation.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first request or recommendation is based on metric and/or observability data received by the rApp or the O-Cloud Maintainer via O1- and/or O2-related services.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the second request is transmitted by the SMO function to the IMS/DMS based on determining, by the SMO function, to accept the first request or recommendation to drain the at least one O-Cloud Node.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first notification indicates that the at least one O-Cloud Node was not drained or an exception occurred.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first notification indicates that the at least one O-Cloud Node was drained, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to receive the first notification by:

receiving, from the IMS/DMS by the SMO function via the O2 interface, the first notification that the at least one O-Cloud Node has been drained.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

notifying, by the SMO function, the rApp of the Non-RT RIC or the O-Cloud Maintainer that the at least one O-Cloud Node has been drained.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions executable by at least one processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework (SMO) function, a first request or recommendation to drain at least one O-Cloud Node, the first request or recommendation being received from an rApp of a Non-Real-Time (Non-RT) RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) or from an O-Cloud Maintainer, wherein draining the at least one O-Cloud Node comprises at least one of: migrating network functions or components of the network functions to another O-Cloud Node, relocating the network functions or the components of the network functions to another O-Cloud Node, or terminating all the network functions or all the components of the network functions of the O-Cloud Node;

transmitting, by the SMO function to an Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) and/or Deployment Management Services (DMS) via an O2 interface, a second request to drain the at least one O-Cloud Node based on the received first request or recommendation; and

receiving, from the IMS/DMS, a first notification as to whether the at least one O-Cloud Node has been drained,

wherein the SMO function is at least one of a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) and Network Function Orchestration (NFO).

18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the second request is an instruction to drain a first O-Cloud Node of the at least one O-Cloud Node, wherein the first notification indicates that the first O-Cloud Node has been drained, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the SMO function to the IMS/DMS via the O2 interface, a third request to drain a second O-Cloud Node of the at least one O-Cloud Node based on the received first request or recommendation.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the first request or recommendation is based on metric and/or observability data received by the rApp or the O-Cloud Maintainer via O1- and/or O2-related services.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the second request is transmitted by the SMO function to the IMS/DMS based on determining, by the SMO function, to accept the first request or recommendation to drain the at least one O-Cloud Node.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 22, 2024
From: RAKUTEN SYMPHONY SINGAPORE PTE LTD
To: RAKUTEN SYMPHONY, INC.
Reel/Frame 068466/0598 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 5, 2023
From: BHANGU, MANMEET SINGH; SHETE, PANKAJ TANAJI; LUTHRA, MOHIT; MUHAMMAD, AWN; DEVADIGA, PUNEET
To: RAKUTEN MOBILE, INC.; RAKUTEN SYMPHONY SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 064153/0237 →
Priority Claims (1)
SG 10202250033J · Jun 3, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240388503A1 · Nov 21, 2024
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