Dynamic Deployment of Virtual Network Functions in Heterogeneous Telco Clouds

The next generation of cellular networks will leverage on network slicing to deal in a cost efficient way with the service requirements of the vertical markets. With this approach the operator can logically split a single network infrastructure in multiple instances whose virtual network functions (VNFs) are designed for each specific service. This new paradigm requires new functionalities and interfaces to take fully advantage of the pool of computational and communication resources and VNFs shared across multiple network slices. In this paper, we introduce the concept of orchestration-driven elasticity that enables the 3GPP Network Slice Management Function (NSMF) to dynamically adapt the VNF placement in the cloud infrastructure according to the momentary service requirements, and to implement proactive measures that avoid computational outages