Network application programming interface guided service placement

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a network API service makes multiple APIs available for guidance and control. The network API service may collect low-level network data related to network elements in access networks and core networks and analyze the low-level network data to create application-level metrics in response to API requests. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:   receiving, via a network application programming interface (API), an authentication request from a user equipment (UE) device;   authenticating the UE device to the network API;   providing an authentication nonce to the UE device;   receiving via the network API, a request for application-level network data from an edge cloud platform, wherein the request for the application-level network data includes the authentication nonce as an indication that the UE device has authorized the request; and   providing, by the processing system, via the network API, the application-level network data to the edge cloud platform.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 collecting low-level network data and storing it in a database; and   analyzing the low-level network data to create the application-level network data.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the low-level network data comprises an access network latency. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the low-level network data comprises a core network latency. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the analyzing comprises combining the access network latency and the core network latency to create an application level latency. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise providing the application-level network data to the edge cloud platform to enable the edge cloud platform to select an edge location to instantiate an application server. 
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a processing system including a processor, via a network application programming interface (API), an authentication request from a user equipment (UE) device;   authenticating, by the processing system, the UE device to the network API;   receiving, by the processing system, via the network API, a request for application-level network data from an edge cloud platform, wherein the request for the application-level network data includes an indication that the UE device has authorized the request; and   providing, by the processing system, via the network API, the application-level network data to the edge cloud platform.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 collecting, by the processing system, low-level network data and storing it in a database; and   analyzing, by the processing system, the low-level network data to create the application-level network data.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the low-level network data comprises an access network latency. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the low-level network data comprises a core network latency. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the analyzing comprises combining the access network latency and the core network latency to create an application level latency. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising providing, by the processing system, the application-level network data to the edge cloud platform to enable the edge cloud platform to select an edge location to instantiate an application server. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the application-level network data comprises network path characteristics between the UE device and a plurality of potential edge locations to instantiate the application server. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the network path characteristics comprise a latency characteristic. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the network path characteristics comprise a bandwidth characteristic. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the network path characteristics comprise a jitter characteristic. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 collecting low-level network data and storing it in a database;   receiving, via a network application programming interface (API), an authentication request from a user equipment (UE) device;   authenticating the UE device to the network API;   receiving, via the network API, a request for application-level network data from an edge cloud platform, wherein the request for the application-level network data includes an indication that the UE device has authorized the request;   determining the application-level network data from the low-level network data; and   providing, via the network API, the application-level network data to the edge cloud platform.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17  wherein:
 the collecting low-level network data comprises collecting the low-level network data from a serving cell in an access network. 
 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the low-level network data from the access network comprises a number of users connected to the serving cell. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the low-level network data describes congestion in a core network.