Abstract: Example network admission control methods and apparatus are described. In one example method, a first network entity of a first network sends a first request to a second network entity in at least one second network. The first request includes one or more of a request of a proposed adjustment of the at least one roaming budget of at least one roaming related parameter, a request of a new budget of the at least one roaming budget of at least one roaming related parameter, and a request of the admission control of the at least one roaming UE for the at least one network slice. The first network entity receives a first response from the second network entity, wherein the first response indicates whether the second network entity accepts or rejects the proposed adjustment of the at least one roaming budget.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a network function for supporting end-to-end communication services in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a first management system for managing a 3GPP 5G subnetwork and a second management system for managing a 3GPP legacy subnetwork and/or a non-3GPP subnetwork. The network function provides an interface between the first management system and the second management system. The first management system and/or the second management system comprises a plurality of network management functions and/or network management function instances. The network function also selects one or more of the plurality of network management functions and or network management function instances in response to a service request on the basis of a load balancing requirement, a minimum latency requirement defined by the service request and/or a quality of a service requirement defined by the service request.

Abstract: The invention relates to a network entity for controlling distribution of slice service level agreement, SLA, information of a network slice in a mobile communication network, wherein the network entity is configured to: obtain a plurality of slice SLA indications, wherein each slice SLA indication is obtained from a network control entity of a first plurality of network control entities; and provide to a network control entity local slice SLA information, wherein the local slice SLA information is based on the obtained plurality of slice SLA indications.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a data handler being configured to handle monitoring data among network entities, wherein the data handler is configured to: obtain a first data request from a first network entity, the first data request comprising a first data identifier, the first data identifier relating to monitoring data; obtain one or more second data identifier from one or more other network entities, wherein the one or more second data identifier is related to the monitoring data to be collected from one or more other network entities; generate association information based on the first data identifier and the one or more second data identifier; and determine, based on the association information, whether the monitoring data to be collected is already available at the data handler, or determine whether the monitoring data to be collected should be collected from the one or more other network entities by the data handler.

Abstract: In a mobile communication system being configured to comprise network slice instances and network subnet slice instances, a network entity performs identifier mapping in connection with services provided. In the identifier mapping operation, the network device receives a first identifier of a first network service. It then generates a second identifier of a second network service, and maps the second identifier to the first identifier. One of the first identifier and the second identifier is a network slice instance ID (NSI-ID).

Abstract: The present invention relates to multi-slice, multi-service-instance communication services, particularly to multi-slice, multi-service-instance assurance for Service level Agreement (SLA) and Quality of Service (QoS) requirement fulfilment. The invention presents a device for managing a service related to at least two network slices and to a corresponding method. The device is configured to obtain management data for the service from at least one of the slices, in particular one or more of the following: performance management (PM) data for the service, fault management (FM) data for the service, analytics data about the service. The device is further configured to evaluate at least one assurance indicator of the service based on the management data. Finally, the device is also configured to generate further management data, in particular configuration management (CM) data for modification of the service and/or at least one of the slices, according to the evaluation result.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a slice monitor for monitoring slices programmed by a slice owner and deployed by an orchestrator in the control and data planes of a communication network. The slice monitor comprises multiple databases containing different types of information, selects the probes to monitor each slice in the control plane or the data plane and instantiates the selected probes as well as a single-slice monitoring device specific to each slice. For optimization, the slice monitor configures the content of its databases by communicating through multiple interfaces with different actors such as the slice owner, the owner of the orchestrator and the owner of itself. Using alarm handlers and a reconfiguration engine, the slice monitor together with the single-slice monitoring device can detect and compensate for possible violations in the service-level agreement by reconfiguring the slice. If the compensation fails, the slice monitor requests the orchestrator for reconfiguration.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a network function for supporting end-to-end communication services in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a first management system for managing a 3GPP 5G subnetwork and a second management system for managing a 3GPP legacy subnetwork and/or a non-3GPP subnetwork. The network function provides an interface between the first management system and the second management system. The first management system and/or the second management system comprises a plurality of network management functions and/or network management function instances. The network function also selects one or more of the plurality of network management functions and or network management function instances in response to a service request on the basis of a load balancing requirement, a minimum latency requirement defined by the service request and/or a quality of a service requirement defined by the service request.

Abstract: The present invention relates to managing a lifecycle of a managed entity inside an operator within a network slicing architecture. The managed entity is one amongst a sub-service or service, a NSI or slice, a NSSI or slice subnet and an infrastructure, and each one is respectively managed by a management function which provides the managed entity to a higher layer management function and is one amongst a SMF, a NSMF, a NSSMF and an IMF. The operator further comprises a delegation entity, which is configured to receive an incoming request from a customer outside the operator and/or from another operator, perform an analysis by analyzing the incoming request, delegate, based on the analysis, the incoming request to at least one of the management functions, and be an end-point providing a programmable interface into the operator in which it is hosted to any other entities external to said operator.

Abstract: In a mobile communication system being configured to comprise network slice instances and network subnet slice instances, a network entity performs identifier mapping in connection with services provided. In the identifier mapping operation, the network device receives a first identifier of a first network service. It then generates a second identifier of a second network service, and maps the second identifier to the first identifier. One of the first identifier and the second identifier is a network slice instance ID (NSI-ID).