4.3 Management aspects of network slicing

28.5303GPPConcepts, use cases and requirementsManagement and orchestrationRelease 17TS

4.3.1 Introduction

This clause describes management aspects of network slicing, which can be described by the four phases shown in Figure 4.3.1.1, the phases are:

– Preparation

– Commissioning

– Operation

– Decommissioning

Figure 4.3.1.1: Management aspects of network slicing

Each phase, described in subsequent clauses, defines high level tasks and should include appropriate verification of the output of each task.

4.3.2 Preparation

In the preparation phase the NetworkSlice instance does not exist. The preparation phase includes network slice design, network slice capacity planning, on-boarding and evaluation of the network functions, preparing the network environment and other necessary preparations required to be done before the creation of an NetworkSlice instance.

4.3.3 Commissioning

NetworkSlice instance provisioning in the commissioning phase includes creation of the NetworkSlice instance. During NetworkSlice instance creation all needed resources are allocated and configured to satisfy the network slice requirements. The creation of an NetworkSlice instance can include creation and/or modification of the NetworkSlice instance constituents.

4.3.4 Operation

The Operation phase includes the activation, supervision, performance reporting (e.g. for KPI monitoring), resource capacity planning, modification, and de-activation of an NetworkSlice instance.

Activation makes the NetworkSlice instance ready to support communication services.

Resource capacity planning includes any actions that calculates resource usage based on an NetworkSlice instance provisioning, and performance monitoring and generates modification polices as a result of the calculation.

NOTE: Automation of resource capacity planning is out of scope of the present document.

NetworkSlice instance modification could be including e.g. capacity or topology changes. The modification can include creation or modification of NetworkSlice instance constituents. NetworkSlice instance modification can be triggered by receiving new network slice requirements or as the result of supervision/reporting

The deactivation includes actions that make the NetworkSlice instance inactive and stops the communication services.

Network slice provisioning actions in the operation phase involves activation, modification and de-activation of an NetworkSlice instance.

4.3.5 Decommissioning

NetworkSlice instance provisioning in the decommissioning phase includes decommissioning of non-shared constituents if required and removing the NetworkSlice instance specific configuration from the shared constituents. After the decommissioning phase, the NetworkSlice instance is terminated and does not exist anymore.