Abstract: A technique for dynamically determining a modification of an initial cloud computing deployment (CCD) of a serverless application with multiple application functions is described. The multiple application functions in the initial CCD are grouped into one or more deployment artifacts each comprising at least one application function, wherein each deployment artifact is associated with a dedicated cloud computing platform type selected from FaaS and CaaS. An apparatus of the present disclosure is configured to obtain at least one requirement for the serverless application or its deployment, and to obtain an application model of the serverless application.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatuses for providing a back-up service. A method in a reliability lifecycle manager (RLCM) is provided for managing orchestration of a back-up service for an original service.

Abstract: In a method performed by a first node associated with a first domain of a communications network, a first message is sent (302) to a second node associated with a second domain of the communications network. The first message comprises an indication of a resource in the first domain that is available to the second domain. The first message further comprises an anonymised first global unique identifier associated with the first domain.

Abstract: A technique for dynamically determining a modification of an initial cloud computing deployment (CCD) of a serverless application with multiple application functions is described. The multiple application functions in the initial CCD are grouped into one or more deployment artifacts each comprising at least one application function, wherein each deployment artifact is associated with a dedicated cloud computing platform type selected from FaaS and CaaS. An apparatus of the present disclosure is configured to obtain at least one requirement for the serverless application or its deployment, and to obtain an application model of the serverless application.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide methods and apparatus for life cycle management in virtual networks.

Abstract: A first orchestrator (20-1) for a first domain (10-1) is configured for multi-domain orchestration. The first orchestrator (20-1) receives an inbound orchestration request (22) that requests orchestration of one or more inbound targets (24) and that includes one or more records (26). The one or more records (26) either indicate an ancestry of each of the one or more inbound targets (24) or indicate an ancestry of the inbound orchestration request (22). The first orchestrator (20-1), based on the one or more records (26) included in the inbound orchestration request (22), evaluating whether or not to send from the first domain (10-1) to a second domain (10-2) an outbound orchestration request (28) that requests orchestration of an outbound target (30). The outbound target (30) is one of, or is a descendant of at least one of, the one or more inbound targets (24).

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide methods and apparatus for life cycle management in virtual networks.

Abstract: Certain embodiments relate to a method for assigning, by a resource orchestration entity, resources for a service carried out on a data packet flow in a multilayer network, the method comprising determining software requirements and network requirements necessary for the service wherein the software requirements and network requirements are received by the network resource orchestration entity from an upper layer through a northbound interface; determining a virtual network topology of the network with at least one virtual network entity, the virtual network entity comprising entity computing resources and entity network resources; and assigning the software requirements and the network requirements at least partially to the entity computing resources and the entity network resources.

Abstract: Certain embodiments relate to a method for assigning, by a resource orchestration entity, resources for a service carried out on a data packet flow in a multilayer network, the method comprising determining software requirements and network requirements necessary for the service wherein the software requirements and network requirements are received by the network resource orchestration entity from an upper layer through a northbound interface; determining a virtual network topology of the network with at least one virtual network entity, the virtual network entity comprising entity computing resources and entity network resources; and assigning the software requirements and the network requirements at least partially to the entity computing resources and the entity network resources.

Abstract: A Path Computation Client (24) of a node in a network sends a request message (52) to a Path Computation Element (28) of the network for computation of a path, and the Path Computation Element sends a response message (54) comprising information identifying a calculated path. The Path Computation Element also sends a request for feedback on a result of the attempt to set up the connection. The Path Computation Element attempts to set up a connection based on the calculated path, and reports (64) to the Path Computation Element the result of the attempt to set up the connection.

Abstract: A method is performed by a network element implementing a controller of a split architecture network. The method requests that a subset of switches in the network report metrics for a data flow to provide a management module with information for executing a management function. A second method is performed by a network element implementing a switch. The switch reports metrics for a data flow to the controller, wherein the switch forwards a management packet with the data flow and collects the metrics for the data flow.

Abstract: A method is performed by a network element implementing a controller of a split architecture network. The method requests that a subset of switches in the network report metrics for a data flow to provide a management module with information for executing a management function. A second method is performed by a network element implementing a switch. The switch reports metrics for a data flow to the controller, wherein the switch forwards a management packet with the data flow and collects the metrics for the data flow.

Abstract: A method is performed by a network element implementing an OpenFlow controller. The method requests that a subset of OpenFlow switches in the network report metrics for an OpenFlow data flow to provide a management module with information for executing a management function. A second method is performed by a network element implementing an OpenFlow switch. The OpenFlow switch reports metrics for an OpenFlow data flow to the OpenFlow controller, wherein the OpenFlow switch forwards a management packet with the OpenFlow data flow and collects the metrics for the OpenFlow data flow.

Abstract: A method is performed by a network element implementing an OpenFlow controller. The method requests that a subset of OpenFlow switches in the network report metrics for an OpenFlow data flow to provide a management module with information for executing a management function. A second method is performed by a network element implementing an OpenFlow switch. The OpenFlow switch reports metrics for an OpenFlow data flow to the OpenFlow controller, wherein the OpenFlow switch forwards a management packet with the OpenFlow data flow and collects the metrics for the OpenFlow data flow.

Abstract: A method performed by a network element implementing an OpenFlow controller, the OpenFlow controller including an operations, administration and management (OAM) module. The OAM module services an OAM function request in a network implementing OpenFlow. The method requests that a subset of OpenFlow switches in the network report metrics for an OpenFlow data flow to provide the OAM module with information for executing the requested OAM function.

Abstract: A method implemented by a network element monitor OpenFlow data flows and enable operations, administration and management (OAM) functionality in OpenFlow. The method inserts OpenFlow OAM packets into an OpenFlow data flow to monitor the OpenFlow data flow, wherein inserted OpenFlow OAM packets have fate sharing with data packets in the OpenFlow data flow. The method comprises the steps of receiving by the network element the OpenFlow OAM packets from a source through a port of the network element, matching by an OpenFlow switch module using a matching structure of OpenFlow data packets received by the network element to identify the OpenFlow OAM packets, and forwarding the identified OpenFlow OAM packets to a flow table or group table of the OpenFlow switch module to aggregate the OpenFlow OAM packets with a corresponding OpenFlow data flow.

Abstract: A method performed by a network element, for notifying a controller of a change to a packet forwarding configuration of the network element. The network element is separated from the controller by a communication channel. The method includes determining the change to the packet forwarding configuration of the network element. The packet forwarding configuration specifies how packets are to be forwarded by the network element. The method also includes actively notifying the controller of the change to the packet forwarding configuration by sending a message to the controller over the communication channel. The message, in addition to indicating the change, also indicates at least one detail about the packet forwarding configuration after the change.

Abstract: A method of measuring loss in a multicast transmission in a network is described. Service frames including a service multicast destination address are sent from a source node towards a receiving node. A counter of the number of service frames sent is maintained at the source node. This counter is periodically read, and its value copied into a loss measurement OAM frame. The loss measurement OAM frame includes a unique identifier and an OAM destination address which is different to the service multicast destination address, and is sent from the source node towards the receiving node. Every time the sent frames counter is read, a measurement indicator frame is also sent from the source node towards the receiving node. The measurement indicator frame includes the unique identifier so that it can be related to the loss measurement OAM frame. The measurement indicator frame also includes the service multicast destination address, although the measurement indicator frame is distinguishable from the service frames.

Abstract: Extensions to a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) frame forwarding procedure in an MPLS node are described. A context descriptor is defined for each frame received on a connection terminated at that node, and where this context descriptor is provided together with the frame to a corresponding function (e.g. Operations, Administration and Maintenance, OAM) if needed. The context descriptor is constructed based on key attributes characterizing the terminated connection, over which the frame is received, and addresses a particular function endpoint (Maintenance Endpoints (MEPs), Selector Bridge of a protection instance etc.) of a corresponding function (OAM, protection, etc.). In one embodiment, a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) node is directed to check not only the first but also the second label, and not to drop the first label (and the label space if relevant) when the second label is the Generic Association Channel Label (GAL). In this way, the original context of the packet is kept (i.e.

Abstract: A method performed by a network element implementing an OpenFlow controller, the OpenFlow controller including an OAM module. The OAM module services an OAM function request in a network implementing OpenFlow. The method requests that a subset of OpenFlow switches in the network report metrics for an OpenFlow data flow to provide the OAM module with information for executing the requested OAM function. The method includes receiving by an OAM module a request to execute the OAM function, generating a trigger monitoring message defining actions to be performed by an OpenFlow switch, wherein the actions are to provide the metrics for the OpenFlow data flow, receiving a plurality of monitor response messages, each including the metrics for the OpenFlow data flow, correlating the plurality of monitor response messages with the OAM function request, executing the requested OAM function, and returning a result of the requested OAM function.