WO2025069085A1

WO2025069085A1 - Method and system for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network

Info

Publication number: WO2025069085A1
Application number: PCT/IN2024/051882
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aayush Bhatnagar; Adityakar -; Ankit Murarka; Yog VASHISHTH; Meenakshi Rani; Santosh Kumar YADAV; Jugal Kishore; Gaurav Saxena
Original assignee: Jio Platforms Ltd
Current assignee: Jio Platforms Ltd
Priority date: 2023-09-28
Filing date: 2024-09-27
Publication date: 2025-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2026-03-28

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method [400] and a system [300] for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network The present disclosure encompasses: a transceiver unit [302], at a policy execution engine (PEEGN) [1088], configured to receive a request relating to performing an operation on at least a network function. A validation unit [304] is configured to validate the received request based on the one or more policies relating to the received request. The transceiver unit [302] is configured to transmit an acknowledgement indicative of receipt and validation of the request; and transmit the request to at least the network function for executing the request. Further, a processing unit [306] is configured to execute the request to perform the operation on at least the network function, based on the one or more policies relating to the request.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING ONE OR MORE OPERATIONS ON ONE OR MORE NETWORK FUNCTIONS IN A NETWORK

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network performance management systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The following description of the related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of the prior art.

[0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on analog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. 3G technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speed, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speed, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users.

[0004] Modern telecommunication networks are rapidly evolving towards virtualized and containerized architectures to meet the growing demands for scalability, flexibility, and efficiency. In this context, there is a need for an interface to enable the deployment and management of network functions in virtualized and containerized environments. Further, over the period of time various solutions have been developed to address the deployment and management of network functions. However, the increasing complexity of such networks has underscored the need for a dynamic and policy-driven approach to resource and data management and network service orchestration.

[0005] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art to provide a method and a system to address the challenges associated with resource and data management, which the present disclosure aims to address.

OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.

[0007] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for handling policy management at VNF/VNFC level by various operations (e.g., create, update, get, and delete).

[0008] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for handling policy management at CNF/CNFC level by various operations.

[0009] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that is less error prone.

SUMMARY

[0010] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0011] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network. The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit, from a user interface (UI), at a policy execution engine (PEEGN), a request relating to performing an operation on at least a network function. Thereafter, the method comprises validating, by a validation unit at the PEEGN, the received request based on one or more policies relating to the received request. Thereafter, the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit from the PEEGN, to the UI, an acknowledgement indicative of receipt and validation of the request. Thereafter, the method comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit, from the PEEGN by an event routing manager (ERM), the request to at least the network function for executing the request. Thereafter, the method comprises executing, by a processing unit, at the PEEGN, the request to perform the operation on at least the network function, based on the one or more policies relating to the request, wherein the operation comprises at least one of a create operation, a read operation, an update operation, and a delete operation.

[0012] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, at least the network function comprises at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs).

[0013] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more policies comprise at least one of affinity policies, anti-affinity policies, dependent policies, scaling policies, instantiation policies, restoration policies, healing policies, Geographic Redundancy Disaster Recovery policies, Network Service Chaining policies, and combinations thereof.

[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, when the one or more policies comprises affinity policies, the method comprises allocating, by the processing unit at the PEEGN, resources for execution of the request on a same network node supporting at least the network function. In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, when the one or more policies comprises anti-affinity policies, the method comprises allocating, by the processing unit, at the PEEGN, resources for execution of the request on a network node different from at least the network node supporting the network function.

[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the PEEGN is configured to support any one or a combination of one or more container network function components (CNFCs), and virtualized network function components (VNFCs). [0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in response to the PEEGN being unable to support any one or a combination of the CNFCs and the VNFCs for the received request, the method comprises rejecting, by the validation unit via the PEEGN, the received request.

[0017] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, in response to validation of the received request failing, the method comprises rejecting, by the validation unit via the PEEGN, the received request.

[0018] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the network comprises at least a first PEEGN, and at least a second PEEGN, and wherein the method comprises detecting, by the processing unit, a failure of at least the first PEEGN. Further, the method comprises operating, by the processing unit, in response to failure of at least the first PEEGN, at least the second PEEGN to replace at least the first PEEGN.

[0019] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the request is received in hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) format.

[0020] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, communication between the PEEGN and the UI occurs via a PE UI interface.

[0021] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network. The system comprises a transceiver unit at a policy execution engine (PEEGN), the transceiver unit is configured to receive, from a user interface (UI), a request relating to performing an operation on at least a network function. Further, the system comprises a validation unit connected at least with the transceiver unit, the validation unit is configured to validate the received request based on one or more policies relating to the received request. Further, the transceiver unit is configured to transmit, to the UI, an acknowledgement indicative of receipt and validation of the request. Furthermore, the transceiver unit is configured to transmit, via an event routing manager (ERM), the request to at least the network function for executing the request. Further, the system comprises a processing unit connected at least with the transceiver unit, the processing unit configured to execute, at the PEEGN, the request to perform the operation on at least the network function, based on the one or more policies relating to the request, wherein the operation comprises at least one of a create operation, a read operation, an update operation, and a delete operation. [0022] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium, storing instructions for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit to receive, from a user interface (UI), at a policy execution engine (PEEGN), a request relating to performing an operation on at least a network function; a validation unit to validate, at the PEEGN, the received request based on one or more policies relating to the received request; the transceiver unit to: transmit, from the PEEGN, to the UI, an acknowledgement indicative of receipt and validation of the request; and transmit, from the PEEGN, by an event routing manager (ERM), the request to at least the network function for executing the request; and a processing unit to execute, at the PEEGN, the request to perform the operation on at least the network function, based on the one or more policies relating to the request, wherein the operation comprises at least one of a create operation, a read operation, an update operation, and a delete operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a manifestation and orchestration (MANO) architecture, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. [0026] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a system architecture for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0029] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above.

[0031] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0032] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail.

[0033] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure.

[0034] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive — in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word — without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0035] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor” includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input/output processing, and/or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or processing unit is a hardware processor.

[0036] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”, “a smartdevice”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”, “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and/or computing device or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The user equipment/device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0037] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or computer- readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.

[0038] As used herein “interface” or “user interface” refers to a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface may also refer to a set of rules or protocols that define communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.

[0039] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.

[0040] As used herein the transceiver unit includes at least one receiver and at least one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals, information or a combination thereof between units/components within the system and/or connected with the system. [0041] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing a method and a system of performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network by providing an interface to interact with a Policy Execution Engine (PEEGN). The PEEGN handles one or more policies related to resource management, security, availability, and scalability as the one or more policies are used in instantiation, scaling, and healing of VNFs and CNFs. Further, a user interface (UI) such as a Command Line Interface (CLI) or Graphical User Interface (GUI) is provided to perform CRUD (create, read, update, delete) operations on the one or more policies, including scaling, dependent policies, affinity/anti-affinity, restoration, healing, Geographic Redundancy, Disaster Recovery, and Network Service Chaining. The present disclosure further enables users to manually interact with the system to perform the operations such as the CRUD operation, which further ensures an effective management of network functions.

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a management and orchestration (MANO) architecture [100], in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The MANO architecture [100] is developed for managing telecom cloud infrastructure automatically, managing design or deployment design, managing instantiation of a network node(s) etc. The MANO architecture [100] deploys the network node(s) in the form of Virtual Network Function (VNF) and Cloud-native/ Container Network Function (CNF). The system may comprise one or more components of the MANO architecture. The MANO architecture [100] is used to auto-instantiate the VNFs into the corresponding environment of the present disclosure so that it could help in onboarding other vendor(s) CNFs and VNFs to the platform. In an implementation, the system comprises a NFV Platform Decision Analytics (NPDA) [1096] component.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, the MANO architecture [100] comprises a user interface layer, a network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined network (SDN) design function module [104], a platforms foundation services module [106], a platform core services module [108] and a platform resource adapters and utilities module [112], wherein all the components are assumed to be connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure. [0044] The NFV and SDN design function module [104] further comprises a VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042], a VNF catalogue [1044], a network services catalogue [1046], a network slicing and service chaining manager [1048], a physical and virtual resource manager [1050] and a CNF lifecycle manager [1052], The VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] is responsible for on which server of the network the microservice will be instantiated. The VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] will manage the overall flow of incoming/ outgoing requests during interaction with the user. The VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042] is responsible for determining which sequence to be followed for executing the process. For e.g. in an AMF network function of the network (such as a 5G network), sequence for execution of processes Pl and P2 etc. The VNF catalogue [1044] stores the metadata of all the VNFs (also CNFs in some cases). The network services catalogue [1046] stores the information of the services that need to be run. The network slicing and service chaining manager [1048] manages the slicing (an ordered and connected sequence of network service/ network functions (NFs)) that must be applied to a specific networked data packet. The physical and virtual resource manager [1050] stores the logical and physical inventory of the VNFs. Just like the VNF lifecycle manager (compute) [1042], the CNF lifecycle manager [1052] is similarly used for the CNFs lifecycle management.

[0045] The platforms foundation services module [106] further comprises a microservices elastic load balancer [1062], an identify and access manager [1064], a command line interface (CLI) [1066], a central logging manager [1068], and an event routing manager [1070], The microservices elastic load balancer [1062] is used for maintaining the load balancing of the request for the services. The identify and access manager [1064] is used for logging purposes. The command line interface (CLI) [1066] is used to provide commands to execute certain processes which require changes during the run time. The central logging manager [1068] is responsible for keeping the logs of every service. These logs are generated by the MANO platform [100], These logs are used for debugging purposes. The event routing manager [1070] is responsible for routing the events i.e., the application programming interface (API) hits to the corresponding services.

[0046] The platforms core services module [108] further comprises NFV infrastructure monitoring manager [1082], an assure manager [1084], a performance manager [1086], a policy execution engine [1088], a capacity monitoring manager [1090], a release management (mgmt.) repository [1092], a configuration manager and GCT [1094], an NFV platform decision analytics [1096], a platform NoSQL DB [1098], a platform schedulers and cron jobs [1100], a VNF backup and upgrade manager [1102], a micro service auditor [1104], and a platform operations, administration and maintenance manager [1106], The NFV infrastructure monitoring manager [1082] monitors the infrastructure part of the NFs. For e.g., any metrics such as CPU utilization by the VNF. The assure manager [1084] is responsible for supervising the alarms the vendor is generating. The performance manager [1086] is responsible for manging the performance counters. The policy execution engine (PEEGN) [1088] is responsible for all the managing the policies. The capacity monitoring manager (CPM) [1090] is responsible for sending the request to the PEEGN [1088], The release management (mgmt.) repository (RMR) [1092] is responsible for managing the releases and the images of all the vendor network node. The configuration manager and GCT [1094] manages the configuration and GCT of all the vendors. The NFV platform decision analytics (NPDA) [1096] helps in deciding the priority of using the network resources. It is further noted that the policy execution engine (PEEGN) [1088], the configuration manager and GCT [1094] and the (NPDA) [1096] work together. The platform NoSQL DB [1098] is a platform database for storing all the inventory (both physical and logical) as well as the metadata of the VNFs and CNF. It may be noted that the platform NoSQL DB [1098] may be just a narrow implementation of the present disclosure, and any other kind of structure for the database may be implemented for the platform database such as relational or non-relational database. The platform schedulers and cron jobs [1100] schedules the task such as but not limited to triggering of an event, traversing the network graph etc. The VNF backup and upgrade manager [1102] takes backup of the images, binaries of the VNFs and the CNFs and produces those backups on demand in case of server failure. The micro service auditor [1104] audits the microservices. For e.g., in a hypothetical case, instances not being instantiated by the MANO architecture [100] using the network resources then the micro service auditor [1104] audits and informs the same so that resources can be released for services running in the MANO architecture [100], thereby assuring the services only run on the MANO platform [100], The platform operations, administration and maintenance manager [1106] is used for newer instances that are spawning.

[0047] The platform resource adapters and utilities module [112] further comprises a platform external API adapter and gateway [1122], a generic decoder and indexer (XML, CSV, JSON) [1124], a docker service adapter [1126], an API adapter [1128], and a NFV gateway [1130], The platform external API adapter and gateway [1122] may be responsible for handling the external services (to the MANO platform [100]) that require the network resources. The generic decoder and indexer (XML, CSV, JSON) [1124] gets directly the data of the vendor system in the XML, CSV, JSON format. The docker service adapter [1126] may be the interface provided between the telecom cloud and the MANO architecture [100] for communication. The API adapter [1128] may be used to connect with the virtual machines (VMs). The NFV gateway [1130] may be responsible for providing the path to each service going to/incoming from the MANO architecture [100], [0048] The docker service adapter (DSA) [1126] is a microservices-based system designed to deploy and manage Container Network Functions (CNFs) and their components (CNFCs) across Docker nodes. The DSA [1126] offers REST endpoints for key operations, including uploading container images to a Docker registry, terminating CNFC instances, and creating Docker volumes and networks. CNFs, which are network functions packaged as containers, may consist of multiple CNFCs. The DSA [1126] facilitates the deployment, configuration, and management of these components by interacting with Docker's API, ensuring proper setup and scalability within a containerized environment. This approach provides a modular and flexible framework for handling network functions in a virtualized network setup.

[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device [200] (herein, also referred to as a computer system [200]) upon which one or more features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented on a computing device [200] as shown in FIG. 2. The computing device [200] implements the present disclosure in accordance with the MANO architecture (as shown in FIG. 1). In an implementation, the computing device [200] may also implement a method for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, utilising a system, or one or more sub-systems, provided in the network. In another implementation, the computing device [200] itself implements the method for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, using one or more units configured within the computing device [200], wherein said one or more units are capable of implementing the features as disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0050] The computing device [200] may include a bus [202] or other communication mechanism(s) for communicating information, and a hardware processor [204] coupled with bus [202] for processing said information. The hardware processor [204] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor. The computing device [200] may also include a main memory [206], such as a random-access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus [202], for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor [204], The main memory [206] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the processor [204], Such instructions, when stored in a non-transitory storage media accessible to the processor [204], render the computing device [200] into a special purpose device that is customized to perform operations according to the instructions. The computing device [200] further includes a read only memory (ROM) [208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus [202] for storing static information and instructions for the processor [204],

[0051] A storage device [210], such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state drive is provided and coupled to the bus [202] for storing information and instructions. The computing device [200] may be coupled via the bus [202] to a display [212], such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc., for displaying information to a user of the computing device [200], An input device [214], including alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the bus [202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor [204], Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller [216], such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor [204], and for controlling cursor movement on the display [212], The cursor controller [216] typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allows the cursor controller [216] to specify positions in a plane.

[0052] The computing device [200] may implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and/or program logic which, in combination with the computing device [200], causes or programs the computing device [200] to be a special-purpose device. According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the computing device [200] in response to the processor [204] executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory [206], The one or more instructions may be read into the main memory [206] from another storage medium, such as the storage device [210], Execution of the one or more sequences of the one or more instructions contained in the main memory [206] causes the processor [204] to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions.

[0053] The computing device [200] also may include a communication interface [218] coupled to the bus [202], The communication interface [218] provides two-way data communication coupling to a network link [220] that is connected to a local network [222], For example, the communication interface [218] may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telecommunication line. In another example, the communication interface [218] may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface [218] sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing different types of information.

[0054] The computing device [200] can send and receive data, including program code, messages, etc. through the network(s), the network link [220] and the communication interface [218], In an example, a server [230] might transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet [228], the ISP [226], the local network [222], the host [224] and the communication interface [218], The received code may be executed by the processor [204] as it is received, and/or stored in the storage device [210], or other non-volatile storage for later execution.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system [300] for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, is shown, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system [300] comprises at least one transceiver unit [302], at least one validation unit [304], and at least one processing unit [306], Also, all of the components/ units of the system [300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in the figures all units shown within the system [300] should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown, however, the system [300] may comprise multiple such units or the system [300] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system [300] may be present in a user device/ user equipment [102] to implement the features of the present disclosure. The system [300] may be a part of the user equipment (UE) [102] (e.g., a user device) or may be independent of but in communication with the UE [102], In another implementation, the system [300] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the system [300] may reside partly in the server/ network entity and partly in the UE [102],

[0056] The system [300] is configured for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, with the help of the interconnection between the components/units of the system [300],

[0057] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged that the functionality described for the various components/units can be implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0058] The system [300] herein comprises the transceiver unit [302] associated with a policy execution engine (PEEGN) [1088], The PEEGN [1088] is responsible for managing one or more network functions based on a set of predefined policies. The one or more policies herein are based on an efficient and reliable management of resources and functions.

[0059] Further, the transceiver unit [302] is configured to receive, from a user interface (UI) [308], a request relating to performing an operation on at least a network function. In an example, the PEEGN [1088] manages one or more requests that are related to the said one or more network functions and further applies the appropriate policies to execute said request.

[0060] The network function comprises at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs).

[0061] The operation comprises at least one of a create operation, a read operation, an update operation, and a delete operation. The user may utilize one or more requests as mentioned above to instruct the PEEGN [1088] to perform at least one of create, read, update, and delete operations on the network functions (e.g., VNFs and/or CNFs) or on network function components (e.g., VNFCs and/or CNFCs).

[0062] Further, the UI [308] mentioned herein is either a command line interface (CLI) or a graphical user interface (GUI) designed to interact with the PEEGN [1088], In an example, the UI [308] allows a user to issue commands or requests related to a specific network function. In another example, the UI [308] facilitates users to manage and monitor the network functions. [0063] In an implementation, the create operation may facilitate creation of one or more new instances of network functions. In an example, users may use the request to create a new instance from any one of a CNF, CNFC, VNF, and VNFC using the create request.

[0064] In an implementation, the read operation may facilitate retrieval of information related to existing network functions. In an example, users may use the request to read or query the status or details of a VNF, VNFC, CNF, or CNFC.

[0065] In an implementation, the update operation may facilitate modification of configuration or operation of an existing network function. In an example, users may use the request to modify or adjust resource allocation for a specific network function, or change function parameters for a specific network function, or may apply new policies to an existing network function.

[0066] In an implementation, the delete operation facilitates removal of an existing network function. In an example, users may use the request to deallocate resources for a specific network function or terminate a specific network function.

[0067] Further, the communication between the PEEGN [1088] and the UI [308] occurs via a PE UI interface. In one aspect, the PE UI interface is responsible for transmitting the requests and their responses between the PEEGN [1088] and the UI [308], In another aspect, the PE UI interface may manage a flow of data and commands between the UI [308] and the PEEGN [1088],

[0068] In an embodiment, the PE UI interface is configured to facilitate exchange of information using hypertext transfer protocol (http) rest application programming interface (API). In an embodiment, the http rest API is used in conjunction with JSON and/or XML communication media. In another embodiment, the PE UI interface is configured to facilitate exchange of information by establishing a web-socket connection between the PEEGN [1088] and the UI [308], A web-socket connection may involve establishing a persistent connectivity between the PEEGN [1088] and the UI [308], An example of the web-socket based communication includes, without limitation, a transmission control protocol (TCP) connection. In such a connection, information, such as operational status, health, etc., of different components may be exchanged through the interface using a ping-pong-based communication. [0069] Furthermore, the request is received in hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) format. In one aspect, the HTTP may act as a communication protocol for transmitting the requests from the UI [308] to the PEEGN [1088], In another aspect, the HTTP format facilitates a secure and reliable transmission of data by ensuring that the requests are properly formatted and delivered to the PEEGN [1088] for further processing.

[0070] The system [300] further comprises the validation unit [304] connected at least with the transceiver unit [302] for further processing the received request. The validation unit [304] is configured to validate the received request based on the one or more policies relating to the received request. Further, the PEEGN [1088] is configured to support any one or a combination of one or more container network function components (CNFCs), and virtualized network function components (VNFCs).

[0071] In an implementation, the one or more policies are affinity policies that may indicate that a specific network function components such as VNFCs or CNFCs requires to be allocated on the same host or node in order to enhance performance, reduce latency, or facilitate closer coordination between function components.

[0072] In another implementation, the one or more policies are anti-affinity policies that may indicate that specific network function components, such as VNFCs or CNFCs, are allocated on different hosts or nodes to increase fault tolerance and reduce the risk of single points of failure.

[0073] In yet another implementation, the one or more policies are dependent policies that may indicate a dependency of a specific network function or their components on another specific network function or their components.

[0074] In yet another implementation, the one or more policies are scaling policies that may include how a specific network function or their components are to be scaled within the network. In one aspect, the network function or their components can be scaled by an addition of extra resources to said specific network function or their components. In another aspect, the network function or their components can be scaled by creation of new instances for said specific network function or their components. [0075] In yet another implementation, the one or more policies are instantiation policies that may include how a specific network function or their components is created or instantiated. For instance, the instantiation policies may include one or more conditions for creating said specific network function or their components or a sequence or a process for instantiation of specific network function or their components.

[0076] In yet another implementation, the one or more policies are restoration policies that may include one or more actions for said specific network function or their components in an event of failure or disruption.

[0077] In yet another implementation, the one or more policies are healing policies that may include a re-creation or reallocation of resources for the specific network function or their components during the failure or disruption of said specific network function or their components.

[0078] In yet another implementation, the one or more policies are geographic redundancy disaster recovery policies that may include one or more actions to ensure that specific network function or their components are replicated across geographically diverse locations, in the event of failure or disruption to continue providing the services.

[0079] In yet another implementation, the one or more policies are network service chaining policies that may include a connection of the specific network function or their components.

[0080] In yet another implementation, the one or more polices may include data related to at least the network function. Herein, the data associated with at least the network function may refer to a specific one or more network resources and configurations, respectively that are linked to the execution of the request. In one example, the data may include information on the one or more resources that are allocated to the requested VNFs or CNFs, respectively. In another example, the data may include information regarding a current operational state of VNFCs/CNFCs, that may include health, uptime, and performance metrics of the network services running on said network node. In yet another example, the data may include configuration details that specify how the resources are to be set up according to the one or more policies, for the network functions hosted on the network node. In yet another example, the data may include information about the nature of the request (such as create, read, update, delete) and their corresponding execution results, such as success or failure of said request. [0081] It is to be noted that the one or more policies may comprise at least one of the policies mentioned above and combinations thereof. It is to be further noted that the one or more policies may comprise any other policies that may not be mentioned herein, but is known to a person skilled in the art.

[0082] The validation unit [304] may process the received request and may further utilize one or more processes to validate said received request.

[0083] In one example, the validation unit [304] may verify if the received request complies with the one or more aforementioned policies. For instance, if a create request is received, the validation unit [304] may ensure that the resources required for the new VNFC or CNFC are available and align with the affinity or anti-affinity policies.

[0084] In another example, the validation unit [304] may verify whether the network is able to support the requested resources. For instance, if a scaling request is received, the validation unit [304] may crosscheck if the network is able to provide the additional resources.

[0085] In yet another example, the validation unit [304] may verify that the request is formatted correctly and is compliant with the predefined protocol (such as the HTTP format).

[0086] In yet another example, the validation unit [304] may verify that other one or more necessary preconditions that would be known to a person skilled in the art, are met before the received request is approved.

[0087] Herein, in response to the PEEGN [1088] being unable to support any one or a combination of the CNFCs and the VNFCs for the received request, the validation unit [304] is configured to reject, via the PEEGN [1088], the received request. Further, in response to validation of the received request failing, the validation unit [304] is configured to reject, via the PEEGN [1088], the received request. In an implementation of the present disclosure, if the PEEGN [1088] is unable to support the VNFCs or CNFCs mentioned in the received request, then in such case, the validation unit [304] may reject the request. In one example, the PEEGN [1088] is unable to support the VNFCs or CNFCs due to a lack of resources that are available for said VNFCs and CNFCs, respectively. In another example, the PEEGN [1088] is unable to support the VNFCs or CNFCs may not align with the one or more aforementioned policies.

[0088] Further, the transceiver unit [302] is configured to transmit, to the UI [308], an acknowledgement indicative of receipt and validation of the request. In an example, the request is validated by the validation unit [304], then the transceiver unit [302] sends a positive acknowledgement indicative to the UI [308], The acknowledgement may further notify the user associated with said UI [308], that the request is eligible to be executed and is in the process of the implementation within the network.

[0089] It is to be noted that, the transceiver unit [302] may send an acknowledgement indicative of receipt of the request prior to the validation request. Further, the acknowledgement indicative of receipt of the request indicates that the request initiated by the user is successfully received and is in the process of validation.

[0090] In another example, if the request is failing the validation process, then the transceiver unit [302] sends a negative acknowledgement to the UI [308], The acknowledgement may further notify the user, the one or more reasons due to which the request is not further processed.

[0091] Furthermore, the transceiver unit [302] is further configured to transmit, via an event routing manager (ERM) [1070], the request to at least the network function for executing the request. In an event, the request is validated, then the transceiver unit [302] further transmits the request to the target node for executing the request. Herein, the ERM [1070] routes the request to a corresponding node as mentioned in the request. It is to be noted that at least the network function mentioned herein a specific network entity, where the network functions (VNFs or CNFs) are to be executed as mentioned in the request.

[0092] The system [300] further comprises the processing unit [306] connected at least with the transceiver unit [302], The processing unit [306] is configured to execute, at the PEEGN [1088], the request for performing the operation on at least the network function based on the one or more policies relating to the received request. The operation may comprise one of the create operation, the read operation, the update operation and the delete operation. [0093] In an event, the one or more policies comprises affinity policies, then in such event, the processing unit [306] is configured to allocate, via the PEEGN [1088], resources for execution of the request on the same network node supporting at least the network function. In such event, the processing unit [306] may ensure that all related VNFs/ VNFCs or CNFs/ CNFCs are executed on the same node. For instance, if the request involves creating or updating a network function, the processing unit [306] may then ensure that the new or modified VNF/VNFC or CNF/CNFC is allocated to the same node where the other related network functions are currently residing within the network. The allocation of resources required for the execution of the request on the same node reduces an inter-node communication latency between VNFs/ VNFCs or CNFs/ CNFCs.

[0094] In another event, the one or more policies comprises anti-affinity policies, then in such event, the processing unit [306] is configured to allocate, via the PEEGN [1088], resources for execution of the request on the network node different from at least the network node supporting the network function. In such an event, the processing unit [306] may ensure that VNFs/ VNFCs or CNFs/ CNFCs associated with the request are allocated to different network nodes, depending on the one or more policy. For instance, if the request involves a scaling request, then the processing unit [306], through the PEEGN [1088], may assign resources on a different node from the one hosting existing network functions to avoid co-location. Furthermore, the allocation of resources for the execution of the request on the different nodes reduces fault tolerance by avoiding single points of failure. Furthermore, said allocation facilitates a continuation of service in case of node failures. In addition, said allocation may facilitate an appropriate load distribution of resources over the different nodes, which may prevent exhaustion on a single node.

[0095] Further, in an implementation of the present disclosure, the network may comprise at least a first PEEGN [1088], and at least a second PEEGN [1088], It is to be noted that the network may comprise a plurality of PEEGN [1088]; however, the terms at least the first PEEGN [1088] and at least the second PEEGN [1088] are used herein for the sake of clarity.

[0096] Further, the processing unit [306] is configured to detect a failure of at least the first PEEGN [1088], The processing unit [306] may monitor the status and health parameters of each PEEGN [1088] at a predefined time period. Further, in an event, the processing unit [306] may detect that the health parameters of a specific PEEGN [1088] (suppose the first PEEGN [1088]) exceeds a predetermined threshold, then in such an event, the processing unit [306] may declare that the failure of said specific PEEGN [1088] (suppose the first PEEGN [1088]). [0097] Furthermore, the processing unit [306] is configured to operate, in response to failure of at least the first PEEGN [1088], at least the second PEEGN [1088] to replace at least the first PEEGN [1088], Post detection of the failure on said specific PEEGN [1088] (suppose the first PEEGN [1088]), the processing unit [306] is configured to perform one or more actions (prestored within a memory associated with the processing unit [306]) to tackle such situations.

[0098] In an example, the processing unit [306] may transfer one or more operations such as management of resources, validation of requests, and verification of the request with the one or more policies, from the first PEEGN [1088] to the second PEEGN [1088], in order to ensures that ongoing requests and network operations may continue without any interruption. Further, the operations being performed by the first PEEGN [1088], are now to be handled by the second PEEGN [1088], The second PEEGN [1088] may re-establish any lost communication channels, resume pending operations, and ensure that new incoming requests are handled effectively.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram [400] for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method [400] is performed by the system [300], Further, in an implementation, the system [300] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0100] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method [400] initially starts at step [402],

[0101] At step [404], the method [400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit [302] via the user interface (UI) [308], at the policy execution engine (PEEGN) [1088], the request relating to performing an operation on at least a network function. Herein, the network function comprises at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs).

[0102] Further, the operation mentioned herein comprises at least one of a create operation, a read operation, an update operation, and a delete operation. [0103] Furthermore, the communication between the PEEGN [1088] and the UI [308] occurs via the PE UI interface, and the request is received in hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) format.

[0104] At step [406], the method [400] comprises validating, by the validation unit [304] at the PEEGN [1088], the received request based on the one or more policies relating to the received request. Further, in an implementation of the present disclosure the PEEGN [1088] is configured to support any one or a combination of one or more container network function components (CNFCs), and virtualized network function components (VNFCs).

[0105] The method [400] further explains that the one or more policies comprise at least one of affinity policies, anti-affinity policies, dependent policies, scaling policies, instantiation policies, restoration policies, healing policies, Geographic Redundancy Disaster Recovery policies, Network Service Chaining policies, and combinations thereof.

[0106] The method [400] further explains that in response to the PEEGN [1088] being unable to support any one or a combination of the CNFCs and the VNFCs for the received request, the method [400] comprises rejecting, by the validation unit [304] via the PEEGN [1088], the received request.

[0107] The method [400] further explains that in response to the PEEGN [1088] being unable to support any one or a combination of the CNFCs and the VNFCs for the received request, the method [400] comprises rejecting, by the validation unit [304] via the PEEGN [1088], the received request.

[0108] At step [408], the method [400] comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302] via the PEEGN [1088], to the UI [308], the acknowledgement indicative of receipt and validation of the request.

[0109] At step [410], the method [400] comprises transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302] from the PEEGN [1088] via the event routing manager (ERM) [1070], the request to at least the network function for executing the request.

[0110] At step [412], the method [400] comprises executing, by the processing unit [306], at the PEEGN [1088], the request for performing the operation on at least the network function based on the one or more policies relating to the received request. The operation may comprise one of the create operation, the read operation, the update operation and the delete operation.

[OHl] The method [400] further explains that in an event, the one or more policies comprises affinity policies, then the method [400] comprises allocating, by the processing unit [306] via the PEEGN [1088], resources for execution of the request on a same network node supporting at least the network function.

[0112] The method [400] further explains that in an event, the one or more policies comprises anti-affinity policies then the method [400] comprises allocating, by the processing unit [306] via the PEEGN [1088], resources for execution of the request on a network node different from at least the network node supporting the network function.

[0113] Further, in an implementation of the present disclosure, the communication network comprises at least a first PEEGN [1088], and at least a second PEEGN [1088], Further, the method [400] comprises detecting, by the processing unit [306], a failure of at least the first PEEGN [1088],

[0114] The method [400] further comprises operating, by the processing unit [306], in response to failure of at least the first PEEGN [1088], at least the second PEEGN [1088] to replace at least the first PEEGN [1088],

[0115] The method [400] herein terminates at step [414],

[0116] Referring to FIG. 5, a system architecture [500] for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, is shown, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system [500] comprises a user interface [502], a policy execution engine (PEEGN) [504], a business logic event [506], a database [508],

[0117] As shown in FIG. 5, the UI [502] is either a command line interface (CLI) or a graphical user interface (GUI) which facilitates users to transmit requests relating to CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations to be made on network functions (e.g., VNFs and/or CNFs)and their components (e.g., VNFCs and/or CNFCs) based on one or more policies. The one or more policies may include a scaling policy, an instantiation policy, a healing policy, an affinity policy, an anti-affinity policy and combination thereof.

[0118] Furthermore, for performing the CRUD operations, a request in hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) format is to be sent by the UI [502] to the PEEGN [504], Further, the communication between the UI [502] and the PEEGN [504] is established by a PE UI interface and one or more data exchanged between the UI [502] and the PEEGN [504] is in JavaScript object notation (JSON) format.

[0119] It is to be noted that for every CRUD operation (create, update, fetch, delete), an HTTP request is generated, and is transmitted to the PEEGN [504], Further, the PEEGN [504] is responsible for executing and managing the one or more policies related to the network functions mentioned in the request. The PEEGN [504] with the help of the business logic unit [506] may process the received request and further validate the request based on one or more pre-defined criteria.

[0120] Further, it is to be noted that each operation is handled asynchronously, and their corresponding responses are further sent back to the UI (via the PE UI interface) once the execution of the request is completed.

[0121] Further, the database [508] mentioned herein stores the data related to the one or more policies and a plurality of events associated with said PEEGN [504], The database [508] utilizes elastic search to allow rapid search, modify, and fetch operations.

[0122] The present disclosure further provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes: a transceiver unit [302] to receive, from a user interface (UI) [308], at a policy execution engine (PEEGN) [1088], a request relating to an operation to be performed on at least a network function; a validation unit [304] to validate, at the PEEGN [1088], the received request based on the one or more policies relating to the received request; the transceiver unit [302] to: transmit, from the PEEGN [1088], to the UI [308], an acknowledgement indicative of receipt and validation of the request; and transmit, from the PEEGN [1088], by an event routing manager (ERM) [1070], the request to at least the network function for executing the request; and a processing unit [306] to execute, at the PEEGN [1088], the request for performing the operation on at least the network function based on the one or more policies relating to the received request, wherein the operation comprises one of a create operation, a read operation, an update operation and a delete operation.

[0123] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network. The present solution provides an async event-based implementation to utilize the interface efficiently. In addition, the present invention provides fault tolerance for any event failure. The interface provided by the present disclosure works in a high availability mode and if one PEEGN instance went down during request processing, then the next available instance takes care of the request and the other incoming requests.

[0124] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method [400] for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, the method [400] comprising:

- receiving, by a transceiver unit [302] from a user interface (UI) [308], at a policy execution engine (PEEGN) [1088], a request relating to performing an operation on at least a network function;

- validating, by a validation unit [304] at the PEEGN [1088], the received request based on one or more policies relating to the received request;

- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302] from the PEEGN [1088], to the UI [308], an acknowledgement indicative of receipt and validation of the request;

- transmitting, by the transceiver unit [302] from the PEEGN [1088], by an event routing manager (ERM) [1070], the request to at least the network function for executing the request; and

- executing, by a processing unit [306], at the PEEGN [1088], the request to perform the operation on at least the network function, based on the one or more policies relating to the request, wherein the operation comprises at least one of a create operation, a read operation, an update operation, and a delete operation.

2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the network function comprises at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs).

3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more policies comprise at least one of affinity policies, anti-affinity policies, dependent policies, scaling policies, instantiation policies, restoration policies, healing policies, Geographic Redundancy Disaster Recovery policies, Network Service Chaining policies, and combinations thereof.

4. The method [400] as claim in claim 3, wherein, when the one or more policies comprises affinity policies, the method [400] comprises: allocating, by the processing unit [306] at the PEEGN [1088], resources for execution of the request on a same network node supporting at least the network function, and when the one or more policies comprises anti-affinity policies, the method [400] comprises:

- allocating, by the processing unit [306] at the PEEGN [1088], resources for execution of the request on a network node different from at least the network node supporting the network function.

5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the PEEGN [1088] is configured to support any one or a combination of one or more container network function components (CNFCs), and virtualized network function components (VNFCs).

6. The method [400] as claimed in claim 5, wherein, in response to the PEEGN [1088] being unable to support any one or a combination of the CNFCs and the VNFCs for the received request, the method [400] comprises rejecting, by the validation unit [304] at the PEEGN [1088], the received request.

7. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in response to validation of the received request failing, the method [400] comprises rejecting, by the processing unit [306] via the PEEGN [1088], the received request.

8. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network comprises at least a first PEEGN [1088], and at least a second PEEGN [1088], and wherein the method [400] comprises:

- detecting, by the processing unit [306], a failure of at least the first PEEGN [1088]; and

- operating, by the processing unit [306], in response to failure of at least the first PEEGN [1088], at least the second PEEGN [1088] to replace at least the first PEEGN [1088],

9. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the request is received in hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) format.

10. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein communication between the PEEGN [1088] and the UI [308] occurs via a PE UI interface.

11. A system [300] for performing one or more operation on one or more network functions in a network, the system [300] comprising:

- a transceiver unit [302] configured to receive, from a user interface (UI) [308], at a policy execution engine (PEEGN) [1088], a request relating to performing an operation on at least a network function;

- a validation unit [304] connected at least to the transceiver unit [302], the validation unit [304] configured to validate, at the PEEGN [1088], the received request based on one or more policies relating to the received request;

- the transceiver unit [302] configured to:

- transmit, from the PEEGN [1088], to the UI [308], an acknowledgement indicative of receipt and validation of the request; and

- transmit, from the PEEGN [1088], by an event routing manager (ERM) [1070], the request to at least the network function for executing the request; and

- a processing unit [306] connected at least to the transceiver unit [302], the processing unit [306] configured to execute, at the PEEGN [1088], the request to perform the operation on at least the network function, based on the one or more policies relating to the request, wherein the operation comprises at least one of a create operation, a read operation, an update operation, and a delete operation.

12. The system [300] as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least the network function comprises at least one of virtualized network functions (VNFs), virtualized network function components (VNFCs), container network functions (CNFs), and container network function components (CNFCs).

13. The system [300] as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more policies comprise at least one of affinity policies, anti-affinity policies, dependent policies, scaling policies, instantiation policies, restoration policies, healing policies, Geographic Redundancy Disaster Recovery policies, Network Service Chaining policies, and combinations thereof.

14. The system [300] as claim in claim 13, wherein, when the one or more policies comprises affinity policies, the processing unit [306] is configured to: - allocate, via the PEEGN [1088], resources for execution of the request on a same network node supporting at least the network function, and when the one or more policies comprises anti-affinity policies, the processing unit [306] is configured to:

- allocate, via the PEEGN [1088], resources for execution of the request on a network node different from at least the network node supporting the network function.

15. The system [300] as claimed in claim 14, wherein the PEEGN [1088] is configured to support any one or a combination of one or more container network function components (CNFCs), and virtualized network function components (VNFCs).

16. The system [300] as claimed in claim 15, wherein, in response to the PEEGN [1088] being unable to support any one or a combination of the CNFCs and the VNFCs for the received request, the validation unit [304] is configured to reject, via the PEEGN [1088], the received request.

17. The system [300] as claimed in claim 11, wherein, in response to validation of the received request failing, the processing unit [306] is configured to reject, via the PEEGN [1088], the received request.

18. The system [300] as claimed in claim 11, wherein the network comprises at least a first PEEGN [1088], and at least a second PEEGN [1088], and wherein the processing unit [306] is configured to:

- detect a failure of at least the first PEEGN [1088]; and

- operate, in response to failure of at least the first PEEGN [1088], at least the second PEEGN [1088] to replace at least the first PEEGN [1088],

19. The system [300] as claimed in claim 11, wherein the request is received in hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) format.

20. The system [300] as claimed in claim 11, wherein communication between the PEEGN [1088] and the UI [308] occurs via a PE UI interface.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for performing one or more operations on one or more network functions in a network, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes:

- a transceiver unit [302] to receive, from a user interface (UI) [308], at a policy execution engine (PEEGN) [1088], a request relating to performing an operation on at least a network function;

- a validation unit [304] to validate, at the PEEGN [1088], the received request based on one or more policies relating to the received request;

- the transceiver unit [302] to:

- a processing unit [306] to execute, at the PEEGN [1088], the request to perform the operation on at least the network function, based on the one or more policies relating to the request, wherein the operation comprises at least one of a create operation, a read operation, an update operation, and a delete operation.