Method for upgrading network functions virtualization application, service forwarding method, and apparatus

1. A method for upgrading a network functions virtualization (NFV) application, comprising:

creating, by a virtualized infrastructure manager (VIM), a network resource according to an upgrade plan for the NFV application;

creating, by the VIM, a virtual machine for a new-version virtualized network function (VNF) according to the upgrade plan;

configuring, by the VIM, the virtual machine on a test network according to the network resource;

performing, by the VIM, upgrade configuration on the virtual machine according to an upgrade configuration script to obtain the new-version VNF;

switching, by an NFV orchestrator (NFVO), an earlier-version VNF to the new-version VNF after determining that a function test of the new-version VNF on the test network is successful;

wherein switching, by the NFVO, the earlier-version VNF to the new-version VNF comprises:

instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to switch a network configuration of the new-version VNF from the test network to a production network on which the earlier-version VNF is located;

instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to switch a database corresponding to the earlier-version VNF to a database corresponding to the new-version VNF;

instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to configure, in an earlier service load forwarding point corresponding to the earlier-version VNF, information about the new-version VNF, such that the earlier service load forwarding point manages traffic forwarding and load balancing of both the new-version VNF and the earlier-version VNF; and

instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to switch a service of the earlier-version VNF to the new-version VNF.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein before creating, by the VIM, the virtual machine for the new-version VNF according to the upgrade plan, the method further comprises instructing, by the NFVO according to the upgrade plan, a virtualized network function manager (VNFM) to call a create VNF interface to create the new-version VNF, wherein an input parameter of the create VNF interface comprises at least a version number of the new-version VNF, and wherein creating, by the VIM, the virtual machine for the new-version VNF according to the upgrade plan comprises creating, by the VIM, the virtual machine for the new-version VNF according to the instruction of the VNFM.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to configure, in the earlier service load forwarding point corresponding to the earlier-version VNF, the information about the new-version VNF comprises instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to call an AddNewVAPPToVLB interface to configure, in the earlier service load forwarding point corresponding to the earlier-version VNF, the information about the new-version VNF.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to switch the database corresponding to the earlier-version VNF to the database corresponding to the new-version VNF, the method further comprises:

storing, by the VIM, data of the new-version VNF in the database corresponding to the earlier-version VNF when a data model of the new-version VNF does not change relative to a data model of the earlier-version VNF; and

creating, by the VIM, a new database for the new-version VNF, and storing data of the earlier-version VNF in the new database when a data model of the new-version VNF changes relative to a data model of the earlier-version VNF.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to switch the service of the earlier-version VNF to the new-version VNF, the method further comprises:

instructing, by the VIM according to the instruction delivered by the NFVO, the earlier service load forwarding point to determine a connection status of a service request according to a stored connection record when the earlier-version VNF is stateful; sending, by the earlier service load forwarding point, the service request to the earlier-version VNF when determining that the service request has a stateful connection; and

sending, by the earlier service load forwarding point, the service request to the new-version VNF when determining that the service request has a stateless connection.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to switch the service of the earlier-version VNF to the new-version VNF comprises instructing, by the NFVO, the VIM to call a StartGracefulSwitchover interface to start a service switching procedure between the new-version VNF and the earlier-version VNF.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein before switching, by the NFVO, the earlier-version VNF to the new-version VNF, the method further comprises:

creating, by the VIM, a new service load forwarding point according to the upgrade plan; and

configuring, by the VIM and in the new service load forwarding point, information about the new-version VNF, such that the new service load forwarding point manages traffic forwarding and load balancing of the new-version VNF.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein after instructing the VIM to configure, in an earlier service load forwarding point corresponding to the earlier-version VNF, the information about the new-version VNF, the method further comprises:

obtaining, by the VIM, the information about the new-version VNF from the new service load forwarding point; and

configuring, by the VIM and in the earlier service load forwarding point, the information about the new-version VNF, such that the earlier service load forwarding point manages the new-version VNF and the earlier-version VNF.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein obtaining, by the VIM, the information about the new-version VNF from the new service load forwarding point comprises calling, by the VIM, an ExportVAPPInfoFromVLB interface to obtain the information about the new-version VNF from the new service load forwarding point, and wherein configuring, by the VIM and in the earlier service load forwarding point, the information about the new-version VNF comprises calling, by the VIM, an ImportVAPPInfoToVLB interface to configure, in the earlier service load forwarding point, the information about the new-version VNF.

10. A network functions virtualization (NFV) system, comprising:

a memory that includes computer instructions;

a processor coupled to retrieve and execute the computer instructions that prompt the processor generate:

an NFV orchestrator (NFVO); and

a virtualized infrastructure manager (VIM) configured to:

create a network resource according to an upgrade plan for an NFV application;

create a virtual machine for a new-version virtualized network function (VNF) according to the upgrade plan;

configure the virtual machine on a test network according to the network resource; and

perform upgrade configuration on the virtual machine according to an upgrade configuration script to obtain the new-version VNF,

wherein the NFVO is configured to switch an earlier-version VNF to the new-version VNF after determining that a function test of the new-version VNF on the test network is successful;

wherein the NFV system further comprising:

an earlier service load forwarding point configured to manage traffic forwarding and load balancing of the earlier-version VNF,

wherein the NFVO is further configured to:

instruct the VIM to switch a network configuration of the new-version VNF, from the test network to a production network on which the earlier-version VNF is located;

instruct the VIM to switch a database corresponding to the earlier-version VNF to a database corresponding to the new-version VNF;

instruct the VIM to configure, in the earlier service load forwarding point corresponding to the earlier-version VNF, information about the new-version VNF, such that the earlier service load forwarding point manages traffic forwarding and load balancing of both the new-version VNF and the earlier-version VNF; and

instruct the VIM to switch a service of the earlier-version VNF to the new-version VNF.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the NFVO is further configured to instruct a virtualized network function manager (VNFM) to call a create VNF interface to create the new-version VNF before the VIM creates the virtual machine for the new-version VNF according to the upgrade plan, wherein an input parameter of the create VNF interface comprises at least a version number of the new-version VNF, and wherein the VIM is further configured to create the virtual machine for the new-version VNF according to the instruction of the VNFM.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the NFVO is further configured to instruct the VIM to call an AddNewVAPPToVLB interface to configure, in the earlier service load forwarding point corresponding to the earlier-version VNF, the information about the new-version VNF.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein after the NFVO instructs the VIM to switch the database corresponding to the earlier-version VNF to the database corresponding to the new-version VNF, the VIM is further configured to:

store data of the new-version VNF in the database corresponding to the earlier-version VNF when a data model of the new-version VNF does not change relative to a data model of the earlier-version VNF; and

create a new database for the new-version VNF, and store data of the earlier-version VNF in the new database when a data model of the new-version VNF changes relative to a data model of the earlier-version VNF.

14. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the VIM is further configured to instruct, according to the instruction delivered by the NFVO, the earlier service load forwarding point to determine a connection status of a service request according to a stored connection record when the earlier-version VNF is stateful, and wherein the earlier service load forwarding point is further configured to:

send the service request to the earlier-version VNF when determining that the service request has a stateful connection; or

send the service request to the new-version VNF when determining that the service request has a stateless connection.

15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the NFVO is further configured to instruct the VIM to call a StartGracefulSwitchover interface to start a service switching procedure between the new-version VNF and the earlier-version VNF.

16. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the VIM is further configured to:

create a new service load forwarding point according to the upgrade plan; and

configure, in the new service load forwarding point, information about the new-version VNF, such that the new service load forwarding point manages traffic forwarding and load balancing of the new-version VNF.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the VIM is further configured to:

obtain the information about the new-version VNF from the new service load forwarding point; and

configure, in an earlier service load forwarding point, the information about the new-version VNF, such that the earlier service load forwarding point manages the new-version VNF and the earlier-version VNF.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the VIM is further configured to:

call an ExportVAPPInfoFromVLB interface to obtain the information about the new-version VNF from the new service load forwarding point; and

call an ImportVAPPInfoToVLB interface to configure, in the earlier service load forwarding point, the information about the new-version VNF.