DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-20 are pending for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-16, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim language in the following claims is not clearly understood:
As per claim 1, line 10, it is unclear whether “CNFs” are referring to “CNF” recited in line 9 (i.e. consistent term should be used with “the” or “said” if they are the same)
As per claim 2, line 2, it is unclear whether “an external VLD of a NSD” is referring one of the “VLDs” in claim 1 (i.e. consistent term should be used with “the” or “said” if they are the same)
As per claim 3, line 2, it is unclear whether “an internal VLD of a NSD” is referring one of the “VLDs” in claim 1 (i.e. consistent term should be used with “the” or “said” if they are the same)
As per claim 11, it has the same deficiency as claim 1 above. Appropriate correction is required.
As per claim 18, line 4, it is unclear whether “each CNFs” is referring to “the CNFs” (i.e. consistent term should be used with “the” or “said” if they are the same)
Line 7, it is unclear whether “CNF cluster networks” is one of the “cluster networks” recited in claim 17 (i.e. consistent term should be used with “the” or “said” if they are the same)
As per claim 19, line 2, it is unclear whether “CNF cluster networks” is one of the “cluster networks” recited in claim 17 (i.e. consistent term should be used with “the” or “said” if they are the same)
As per claim 20, line 3, it is unclear whether “VL information” is referring to the same “VL information” recited in claim 17 (i.e. consistent term should be used with “the” or “said” if they are the same)
As per claims 2-10, 12-16, they depend from rejected claims and do not resolve the deficiencies thereof and are therefore rejected for at least the same reasons.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to abstract idea without significantly more.
Step 2A Prong 1:
Claim 1: The limitation of “creating virtual link (VL) information according to virtual link descriptors (VLDs) and information of created cluster networks, wherein the VL information comprises the information of the created cluster networks mapping to relevant VLs”, as drafted, is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind. For example, “creating” in the context of this claim encompasses a person thinking about information of a cluster network, and mapping of the relevant virtual links, and making observations, evaluations, judgements and opinions regarding how virtual links are mapped to the cluster network. The result of such a thought process is the creation of a VL information, perhaps with the aid of pen and paper.
Additional elements are evaluated below.
Claim 2, Similarly, the limitation of “creating NS VL information according to an external VLD of a Network Service Descriptor (NSD), wherein the NS VL information comprises information of a created NS cluster network and an association between external CPs of the CNFs and the created NS cluster network, and wherein the CNF instantiating request comprises the NS VL information” as drafted, is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind. For example, “creating” in the context of this claim encompasses a person thinking about information of a cluster network, and mapping of the relevant virtual links, and making observations, evaluations, judgements and opinions regarding how virtual links are mapped to the cluster network. The result of such a thought process is the creation of a VL information, perhaps with the aid of pen and paper.
Claim 3, Similarly, the limitation of “creating, CNF VL information according to an internal VLD of a Virtualized Network Function Descriptor (VNFD), wherein the CNF VL information comprises information of created CNF cluster networks and an association between internal CPs of the CNFs and the created CNF cluster networks, and wherein the CNF instantiating request comprises the CNF VL information” as drafted, is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind. For example, “creating” in the context of this claim encompasses a person thinking about information of a cluster network, and mapping of the relevant virtual links, and making observations, evaluations, judgements and opinions regarding how virtual links are mapped to the cluster network. The result of such a thought process is the creation of a VL information, perhaps with the aid of pen and paper.
Claims 4-5, Additional elements are evaluated below.
Claim 6, Similarly, the limitation of “the cluster network profiles are generated by the orchestrator node based on the VLDs, and the VLDs comprises attribute information for creating the cluster networks” as drafted, is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind. For example, “generated” in the context of this claim encompasses a person thinking about information of a cluster network, and mapping of the relevant virtual links, and making observations, evaluations, judgements and opinions regarding how virtual links are mapped to the cluster network. The result of such a thought process is the creation of a cluster network profiles, perhaps with the aid of pen and paper. Additional elements are evaluated below.
Claim 7-9, Additional elements are evaluated below.
Claim 10, Similarly, the limitation of “updating, by the orchestrator node, the VL information according to updated VLDs; updating, by the orchestrator node, NS VL information according to an external VLD of an updated NSD, wherein the wireless communication method further comprises: creating, by the orchestrator node, new CNF VL information for the new CNF according to an internal VLD of a new VNFD” as drafted, is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind. For example, “updating” and “creating” in the context of this claim encompasses a person thinking about information of a cluster network, and mapping of the relevant virtual links, and making observations, evaluations, judgements and opinions regarding how virtual links are mapped to the cluster network. The result of such a thought process is the creation of a VL information, perhaps with the aid of pen and paper. Additional elements are evaluated below.
Step 2A Prong 2:
Claim 1: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements – “an orchestrator node” and “transmitting, by the orchestrator node to a virtualized network function manager node, a Containerized Virtualized Network Function (CNF) instantiating request comprising the VL information for instantiating CNFs for a Network Service (NS)”. The “an orchestrator node, “a virtualized network function manager node” are all recited at a high level of generality (i.e. as a generic computer system performing generic computer functions) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic component. Also, “transmitting … instantiating request” is merely insignificant post-solution data gathering activity by a user sending a request with the gathered information, and does not impose meaningful limitation on the abstract idea 2106.05(g).
Claim 4: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements – “receiving, by the orchestrator node from an operation support node, an NS instantiating request comprising an NSD, a VNFD, and attribute information of the cluster networks”. “receiving…” is merely insignificant post-solution data gathering activity by a user sending a request with the gathered information, and does not impose meaningful limitation on the abstract idea 2106.05(g).
Claim 5: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements – “receiving, by the orchestrator node from a container cluster manager node, the information of the created cluster networks.”. “receiving…” is merely insignificant post-solution data gathering activity by a user sending a request with the gathered information, and does not impose meaningful limitation on the abstract idea 2106.05(g).
Claim 6: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements – “transmitting, by the orchestrator node to the container cluster manager node, a creating request comprising cluster network profiles to request the container cluster manager node to create the cluster networks according to the cluster network profiles”. “transmitting…” is merely insignificant post-solution data gathering activity by a user sending a request with the gathered information, and does not impose meaningful limitation on the abstract idea 2106.05(g).
Claim 7: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements – “transmitting, by the orchestrator node to the container cluster manager node, an allocation request to request the container cluster manager node to allocate one or more Container Infrastructure Service (CIS) clusters for the NS; and receiving, by the orchestrator node from the container cluster manager node, information of one or more allocated CIS clusters”. “transmitting…” and “receiving” are merely insignificant post-solution data gathering activities by a user sending a request with the gathered information, and does not impose meaningful limitation on the abstract idea 2106.05(g).
Claim 8: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements – “receiving, by the orchestrator node from an operation support node, an NS instantiating request comprising an NSD and a VNFD and cluster network profiles”. “receiving…” is merely insignificant post-solution data gathering activity by a user sending a request with the gathered information, and does not impose meaningful limitation on the abstract idea 2106.05(g).
Claim 9: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements – “the cluster networks are pre-configured by the container cluster manager node”. “the cluster network” is merely the field of use/technological environment in which the judicial exception is being applied and does not meaningful limit the judicial exception, see MPEP 2106.05(h).
Claim 10: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim recites additional elements – “ transmitting, by the orchestrator node to the virtualized network function manager node, a new CNF instantiating request comprising the updated VL information for instantiating a new CNF for the NS”, “transmitting, by the orchestrator node to a container cluster manager node, a creating request comprising a new CNF cluster network profile to control the container cluster manager node to create new cluster networks according to the new CNF cluster network profile; and receiving, by the orchestrator node to the container cluster manager node, information of the new cluster networks”. “transmitting”, “transmitting” and “receiving” are merely insignificant post-solution data gathering activities by a user sending a request with the gathered information, and does not impose meaningful limitation on the abstract idea 2106.05(g).
Claims 2-3: They do not recite any additional elements.
Accordingly, the additional elements recited in the claims do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea, thus fail to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application.
Step 2B:
Claim 1: The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of a orchestrator node and virtualized network function manager node amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer system. Mere instruction to apply an exception using a generic computer system cannot provide an inventive concept. The additional elements of transmitting a request amount to no more than insignificant post-solution data gathering (as evidenced by court decisions discussed in MPEP 2103.05(g) and 2103.05(d)(II) and in accordance with the Office guidance in the memorandum addressing the decision in Berkheimer v. HP, Inc.) and field of use/technological environment without imposing meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea and thus cannot provide an inventive concept.
Claim 4: The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of receiving an NS instantiating request amount to no more than insignificant post-solution data gathering (as evidenced by court decisions discussed in MPEP 2103.05(g) and 2103.05(d)(II) and in accordance with the Office guidance in the memorandum addressing the decision in Berkheimer v. HP, Inc.) and field of use/technological environment without imposing meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea and thus cannot provide an inventive concept.
Claim 5: The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of receiving an information amount to no more than insignificant post-solution data gathering (as evidenced by court decisions discussed in MPEP 2103.05(g) and 2103.05(d)(II) and in accordance with the Office guidance in the memorandum addressing the decision in Berkheimer v. HP, Inc.) and field of use/technological environment without imposing meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea and thus cannot provide an inventive concept.
Claim 6: The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of transmitting a creating request amount to no more than insignificant post-solution data gathering (as evidenced by court decisions discussed in MPEP 2103.05(g) and 2103.05(d)(II) and in accordance with the Office guidance in the memorandum addressing the decision in Berkheimer v. HP, Inc.) and field of use/technological environment without imposing meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea and thus cannot provide an inventive concept.
Claim 7: The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of transmitting an allocation request and receiving information amount to no more than insignificant post-solution data gathering (as evidenced by court decisions discussed in MPEP 2103.05(g) and 2103.05(d)(II) and in accordance with the Office guidance in the memorandum addressing the decision in Berkheimer v. HP, Inc.) and field of use/technological environment without imposing meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea and thus cannot provide an inventive concept.
Claim 8: The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of receiving an NS instantiating request amount to no more than insignificant post-solution data gathering (as evidenced by court decisions discussed in MPEP 2103.05(g) and 2103.05(d)(II) and in accordance with the Office guidance in the memorandum addressing the decision in Berkheimer v. HP, Inc.) and field of use/technological environment without imposing meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea and thus cannot provide an inventive concept.
Claim 9: The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of the cluster networks amount to no more than field of use/technological environment without imposing meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea and thus cannot provide an inventive concept.
Claim 10: The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of transmitting, transmitting and receiving information amount to no more than insignificant post-solution data gathering (as evidenced by court decisions discussed in MPEP 2103.05(g) and 2103.05(d)(II) and in accordance with the Office guidance in the memorandum addressing the decision in Berkheimer v. HP, Inc.) and field of use/technological environment without imposing meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea and thus cannot provide an inventive concept.
Claims 2-3: They do not recite any additional elements.
Therefore, these additional elements do not amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. Claims 1-10 are not eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C 101.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xia US Pub 2020/0322232 (hereafter Xia) in view of Li US Pub 2023/0105269 (hereafter Li).
As per claim 1, Xia teaches the invention substantially as claimed including a wireless communication method: creating, by an orchestrator node, virtual link (VL) information according to virtual link descriptors (VLDs) and information of created cluster networks (para[0015, 0020, 0095-0096, 0105-0106], virtual link VL information model is defined from the virtual link descriptor including a static attribute of a virtual link instance, specific VNF external connection point descriptor);
wherein the VL information comprises the information of the created cluster networks mapping to relevant VLs, and an association between connection points (CPs) and the created cluster networks (para[0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0113], an association relationship between descriptors to provide a reference for connection relationships related to virtual links, between network service and connection points).
Xia does not explicitly teach transmitting, by the orchestrator node to a virtualized network function manager node, a Containerized Virtualized Network Function (CNF) instantiating request comprising the VL information for instantiating CNFs for a Network Service (NS).
However, Li teaches transmitting, by the orchestrator node to a virtualized network function manager node, a Containerized Virtualized Network Function (CNF) instantiating request comprising the VL information for instantiating CNFs for a Network Service (NS) (para[0154-0155], NFVO sends a VNF creation request to the VNFM, where the VNF creation request includes an identifier of a VNF and a connection relationship between the VNF and the links, which is obtained from NsVirtualLinkConnectivity information corresponding to the VNF).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Li’s teaching to Xia’s invention in order to provide a virtualized network service deployment method for creating an NS in a complex scenario including an improved NSD file, where a connection relationship of a virtual network between the at least two VNFs is more accurate and therefore successful deployment of the NS can be ensured (para[0007-0009]).
As per claim 2, Xia and Li teach the wireless communication method of claim 1, and Xia teaches further comprising: creating, by the orchestrator node, NS VL information according to an external VLD of a Network Service Descriptor (NSD), wherein the NS VL information comprises information of a created NS cluster network and an association between external CPs of the CNFs and the created NS cluster network (para[0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0113], external virtual link information model created based on the virtual link descriptor, NS instance is connected to an external link point including an external connection point of the VNF).
In addition, Li teaches wherein the CNF instantiating request comprises the NS VL information (para[0154-0155], NFVO sends a VNF creation request to the VNFM, where the VNF creation request includes an identifier of a VNF and a connection relationship between the VNF and the links, which is obtained from NsVirtualLinkConnectivity information corresponding to the VNF).
As per claim 3, Xia teaches further comprising: creating, by the orchestrator node, CNF VL information according to an internal VLD of a Virtualized Network Function Descriptor (VNFD), wherein the CNF VL information comprises information of created CNF cluster networks and an association between internal CPs of the CNFs and the created CNF cluster networks (para[0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0117-0119, 0166], internal virtual link information model created based on the virtual link descriptor of VNFD, an internal virtual link instance is used to internally connect the nested NS instances, and determine internal peer connection points that are internally connected through VLs).
In addition, Li teaches wherein the CNF instantiating request comprises the CNF VL information (para[0154-0155], NFVO sends a VNF creation request to the VNFM, where the VNF creation request includes an identifier of a VNF and a connection relationship between the VNF and the links, which is obtained from NsVirtualLinkConnectivity information corresponding to the VNF).
As per claim 4, Li teaches further comprising: receiving, by the orchestrator node from an operation support node, an NS instantiating request comprising an NSD, a VNFD, and attribute information of the cluster networks (para[0122-0127], NFVO receives a request for instantiating a NS, and obtain a NS descriptor corresponding to an ID of the NS, where the NSD file includes VLD and VNFD file).
As per claim 5, Li teaches further comprising: receiving, by the orchestrator node from a container cluster manager node, the information of the created cluster networks (para[0160-0161], orchestrator receives that the VNF and NS is successfully instantiated and deployed).
As per claim 6, Li teaches further comprising: transmitting, by the orchestrator node to the container cluster manager node, a creating request comprising cluster network profiles to request the container cluster manager node to create the cluster networks according to the cluster network profiles, wherein the cluster network profiles are generated by the orchestrator node based on the VLDs, and the VLDs comprises attribute information for creating the cluster networks (para[0122-0126, 0134], request for instantiating a network service includes NSD file having VLD file, and the VLD file includes virtual link profile including virtual link protocol data information and router description information).
As per claim 7, Li teaches further comprising: transmitting, by the orchestrator node to the container cluster manager node, an allocation request to request the container cluster manager node to allocate one or more Container Infrastructure Service (CIS) clusters for the NS; and receiving, by the orchestrator node from the container cluster manager node, information of one or more allocated CIS clusters (para[0088, 0097], orchestrator communicates with VIM to allocate virtualized resources to the VNF, and exchange configuration information and status information of virtualized hardware resources).
As per claim 8, Li teaches further comprising: receiving, by the orchestrator node from an operation support node, an NS instantiating request comprising an NSD and a VNFD and cluster network profiles (para[0084, 0099-0102, 0134], operation support system requests for instantiating an NS, comprising NSD and VNFD, where VLD file includes virtual link profile).
As per claim 9, Li teaches wherein the cluster networks are pre-configured by the container cluster manager node (para[0097], VIM configures the network service by allocating resources and reserving and exchanging configuration information and status information).
As per claim 10, Xia teaches further comprising: updating, by the orchestrator node, the VL information according to updated VLDs; wherein the wireless communication method further comprises: updating, by the orchestrator node, NS VL information according to an external VLD of an updated NSD, wherein the wireless communication method further comprises: creating, by the orchestrator node, new CNF VL information for the new CNF according to an internal VLD of a new VNFD, and wherein the wireless communication method further comprises: transmitting, by the orchestrator node to a container cluster manager node, a creating request comprising a new CNF cluster network profile to control the container cluster manager node to create new cluster networks according to the new CNF cluster network profile; and receiving, by the orchestrator node to the container cluster manager node, information of the new cluster networks (para[0034-0037, 0175-0185], second request to update the NS instance which updates network connections associated with the nested NS instances, where the second request include updated information about the virtual links, identifier of a port connected to connection point).
In addition, Li teaches and transmitting, by the orchestrator node to the virtualized network function manager node, a new CNF instantiating request comprising the updated VL information for instantiating a new CNF for the NS (para[0164-0181], FIG. 6, receive NS update request, and obtain an updated NSD file, and send VNF connection update request based on the updated NSD file).
As per claim 11, Xia teaches the invention substantially as claimed including a wireless communication method comprising: wherein the VL information comprises information of created cluster networks mapping to relevant VLs, and an association between connection points (CPs) and the cluster networks (para[0015, 0020, 0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0113], virtual link VL information model is defined from the virtual link descriptor including a static attribute of a virtual link instance, specific VNF external connection point descriptor; an association relationship between descriptors to provide a reference for connection relationships related to virtual links, between network service and connection points).
Xia does not explicitly teach receiving, by a virtualized network function manager node from an orchestrator node, a Containerized Virtualized Network Function (CNF) instantiating request comprising virtual link (VL) information for instantiating CNFs for a Network Service (NS).
However, Li teaches receiving, by a virtualized network function manager node from an orchestrator node, a Containerized Virtualized Network Function (CNF) instantiating request comprising virtual link (VL) information for instantiating CNFs for a Network Service (NS) (para[0154-0155], NFVO sends a VNF creation request to the VNFM, where the VNF creation request includes an identifier of a VNF and a connection relationship between the VNF and the links, which is obtained from NsVirtualLinkConnectivity information corresponding to the VNF).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Li’s teaching to Xia’s invention in order to provide a virtualized network service deployment method for creating an NS in a complex scenario including an improved NSD file, where a connection relationship of a virtual network between the at least two VNFs is more accurate and therefore successful deployment of the NS can be ensured (para[0007-0009]).
As per claim 12, Xia and Li teaches the wireless communication method of claim 11, Xia teaches wherein the VL information comprises NS VL information comprising information of an NS cluster network and an association between external CPs of the CNFs and the NS cluster network (para[0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0113], external virtual link information model created based on the virtual link descriptor, NS instance is connected to an external link point including an external connection point of the VNF).
In addition, Li teaches wherein the CNF instantiating request comprises the NS VL information (para[0154-0155], NFVO sends a VNF creation request to the VNFM, where the VNF creation request includes an identifier of a VNF and a connection relationship between the VNF and the links, which is obtained from NsVirtualLinkConnectivity information corresponding to the VNF).
As per claim 13, Xia teaches wherein the VL information comprises CNF VL information comprising information of CNF cluster networks and an association between internal CPs of the CNFs and the CNF cluster networks (para[0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0117-0119, 0166], internal virtual link information model created based on the virtual link descriptor of VNFD, an internal virtual link instance is used to internally connect the nested NS instances, and determine internal peer connection points that are internally connected through VLs).
In addition, Li teaches wherein the CNF instantiating request comprises the CNF VL information (para[0154-0155], NFVO sends a VNF creation request to the VNFM, where the VNF creation request includes an identifier of a VNF and a connection relationship between the VNF and the links, which is obtained from NsVirtualLinkConnectivity information corresponding to the VNF).
As per claim 14, Xia teaches further comprising: creating, by the virtualized network function manager node, CNF VL information according to an internal VLD of a Virtualized Network Function Descriptor (VNFD), wherein the CNF VL information comprises information of CNF cluster networks and an association between internal CPs of the CNFs and the CNF cluster networks, and wherein the CNF instantiating request comprises the CNF VL information (para[0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0117-0119, 0166], internal virtual link information model created based on the virtual link descriptor of VNFD, an internal virtual link instance is used to internally connect the nested NS instances, and determine internal peer connection points that are internally connected through VLs).
As per claim 15, Li teaches further comprising: transmitting, by the virtualized network function manager node to a service manager node, the VL information to allow the service manager to create CNF instances, create connections between the CNFs, create connections between Containerized Virtualized Network Function Components, CNFCs, in each CNFs, connect external CPs of the CNFs to an associated NS cluster network, and connect internal CPs of the CNFCs to CNF cluster networks (para[0154-0159], VNF creation request includes identifier of a VNF, connection relationship between VNF and layer links and corresponding VL connected to connection points, completes connection between the VNF and related network based on information about the networks in the request).
As per claim 16, Li teaches further comprising: transmitting, by the virtualized network function manager node to a service manager node, updated VL information to allow the service manager to create connections between CNFCs in a new CNF and create connections between external CPs of the new CNF and an existing NS cluster network (para[0164-0181], FIG. 6, receive NS update request, and obtain an updated NSD file, and send VNF connection update request based on the updated NSD file).
As per claim 17, Xia teaches the invention substantially as claimed including a wireless communication method comprising: receiving, by a service manager node from a virtualized network function manager node, virtual link (VL) information comprising information of created cluster networks and an association between connection points (CPs) and the cluster networks (para[0015, 0020, 0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0113], virtual link VL information model is defined from the virtual link descriptor including a static attribute of a virtual link instance, specific VNF external connection point descriptor; an association relationship between descriptors to provide a reference for connection relationships related to virtual links, between network service and connection points).
Xia does not explicitly teach instantiating, by the service manager node, Containerized Virtualized Network Functions (CNFs) for a Network Service (NS) according to the VL information.
However, Li teaches instantiating, by the service manager node, Containerized Virtualized Network Functions (CNFs) for a Network Service (NS) according to the VL information (para[0154-0159], NFVO sends a VNF creation request to the VNFM, where the VNF creation request includes an identifier of a VNF and a connection relationship between the VNF and the links, which is obtained from NsVirtualLinkConnectivity information corresponding to the VNF, and create a VNF based on the VNF request having VL information).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Li’s teaching to Xia’s invention in order to provide a virtualized network service deployment method for creating an NS in a complex scenario including an improved NSD file, where a connection relationship of a virtual network between the at least two VNFs is more accurate and therefore successful deployment of the NS can be ensured (para[0007-0009]).
As per claim 18, Xia and Li teach the wireless communication method of claim 17, Xia teaches further comprising: creating, by the service manager node, connections between the CNFs; creating, by the service manager node, connections between Containerized Virtualized Network Function Components (CNFCs) in each CNFs; connecting, by the service manager node, external CPs of the CNFs to an associated NS cluster network (para[0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0113], external virtual link information model created based on the virtual link descriptor, NS instance is connected to an external link point including an external connection point of the VNF).
and connecting, by the service manager node, internal CPs of the CNFCs to CNF cluster networks (para[0095-0096, 0105-0106, 0108-0109, 0117-0119, 0166], internal virtual link information model created based on the virtual link descriptor of VNFD, an internal virtual link instance is used to internally connect the nested NS instances, and determine internal peer connection points that are internally connected through VLs).
As per claim 19, Xia teaches further comprising: creating, by the service manager node, an NS cluster network and CNF cluster networks according to a NS cluster network profile and CNF cluster network profile (para[0112-0122], composite NS instance and nested NS instance are created based on external/internal VL link information models).
As per claim 20, Li teaches further comprising: receiving, by the service manager node from the virtualized network function manager node, updated VL information; and creating, by the service manager node, network connections for a new CNF instance according to the updated VL information (para[0164-0181], FIG. 6, receive NS update request, and obtain an updated NSD file, and send VNF connection update request based on the updated NSD file).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Li et al. US Pub 2018/0077020 teaches a virtualized network function scaling method including receiving a network service scaling request, the request includes a deployment flavor identifier, the network service includes an instance of a first VNF (VNF1) and an instance of a second VNF (VNF2), VNF instances are connected by using an instance of a first VL (VL1); creating an instance of the second virtual link according to the descriptor of the second VL, to connect the new instance of the VNF1 to the instance of the VNF2. A new VNF instance obtained after service scaling can be connected to another VNF instance.
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/TAMMY E LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2195
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