Flexible multi-access edge computing (mec) services consumption through hosts zoning

Abstract

Systems and methods for establishing, configuring, and operating multi-access edge computing (MEC) services and service consumption through zoning hosts in multi-vendor or multi-system environments. An apparatus operating as a MEC orchestrator to manage services consumption using zones is configurable to perform operations to: receive, from an application executing at a host, a request for a list of services and corresponding proximity zones; in response to receiving the request for the list of services, query a plurality of hosts for performance metrics of respective services offered from the plurality of hosts, the respective services to be used by the application executing at the host; construct a zone map, the zone map maintaining a mapping between the application and the plurality of hosts based on the performance metrics; and manage migration of the application or a service of the respective services, based on the zone map, to ensure QoS of the application.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions for being executed by at least one machine, the at least one machine to be associated with multi-access edge computing (MEC) management entity circuitry of a MEC network, the MEC network including a host executing a MEC application, the MEC network having MEC services, the instructions when executed by the at least one machine resulting in the MEC management entity circuitry being configured to perform operations comprising:
 generating service availability data indicating one or more of the MEC services that are available to the MEC application, the service availability data including locality data, the locality data indicating (1) whether the one or more of the MEC services are local to the MEC application, (2) whether the one or more of the MEC services are available only for local MEC application consumption, and (3) manner in which locality is being expressed;   wherein:
 the service availability data is to be provided in response to query data; 
 the locality data is configurable to comprise other data indicating the manner in which the locality is being expressed; and 
 the other data is configurable to indicate the locality in terms of one or more MEC resource zones. 
   
     
     
         3 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the service availability data is generated in response to request data from the MEC application; and   the request data is associated with the query data.   
     
     
         4 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the service availability data is to be provided via service availability subscription message data and/or service availability notification message data.   
     
     
         5 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the other data is configurable to indicate that the one or more of the services are deployed as one or more VNF.   
     
     
         6 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the other data is configurable to indicate the locality in terms of MEC host, NFVI POP, zone information, zone group, or node.   
     
     
         7 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the one or more MEC resource zones are to be determined, at least in part, by a MEC orchestrator.   
     
     
         8 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the locality data comprises isLocal attribute data and scopeOfLocality attribute data;   the isLocal attribute data is to indicate whether the one or more of the MEC services are local to the MEC application; and   the scopeOfLocality attribute data is to indicate the manner in which the locality is being expressed.   
     
     
         9 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the locality data is configurable to be generated based upon one or more metrics associated with one or more of:
 quality of experience; 
 quality of service; 
 latency; and/or 
 cost. 
   
     
     
         10 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the one or more MEC resource zones are to be determined based upon the one or more metrics.   
     
     
         11 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the one or more MEC resource zones are to be determined based upon one or more boundaries associated with the one or more metrics.   
     
     
         12 . A method implemented using multi-access edge computing (MEC) management entity circuitry of a MEC network, the MEC network including a host executing a MEC application, the MEC network having MEC services, the method comprising:
 generating service availability data indicating one or more of the MEC services that are available to the MEC application, the service availability data including locality data, the locality data indicating (1) whether the one or more of the MEC services are local to the MEC application, (2) whether the one or more of the MEC services are available only for local MEC application consumption, and (3) manner in which locality is being expressed;   wherein:
 the service availability data is to be provided in response to query data; 
 the locality data is configurable to comprise other data indicating the manner in which the locality is being expressed; and 
 the other data is configurable to indicate the locality in terms of one or more MEC resource zones. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the service availability data is generated in response to request data from the MEC application; and   the request data is associated with the query data.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the service availability data is to be provided via service availability subscription message data and/or service availability notification message data.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the other data is configurable to indicate that the one or more of the services are deployed as one or more VNF.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the other data is configurable to indicate the locality in terms of MEC host, NFVI POP, zone information, zone group, or node.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the one or more MEC resource zones are to be determined, at least in part, by a MEC orchestrator.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the locality data comprises isLocal attribute data and scopeOfLocality attribute data;   the isLocal attribute data is to indicate whether the one or more of the MEC services are local to the MEC application; and   the scopeOfLocality attribute data is to indicate the manner in which the locality is being expressed.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the locality data is configurable to be generated based upon one or more metrics associated with one or more of:
 quality of experience; 
 quality of service; 
 latency; and/or 
 cost. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the one or more MEC resource zones are to be determined based upon the one or more metrics.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the one or more MEC resource zones are to be determined based upon one or more boundaries associated with the one or more metrics.   
     
     
         22 . Multi-access edge computing (MEC) management entity circuitry to be used in a MEC network, the MEC network including a host to execute a MEC application, the MEC network to have MEC services, the MEC management entity circuitry comprising:
 machine-readable memory storing instructions; and   processor circuitry to execute the instructions, the instructions when executed by the processor circuitry resulting in the MEC management entity circuitry being configured for performance of operations comprising:
 generating service availability data indicating one or more of the MEC services that are available to the MEC application, the service availability data including locality data, the locality data indicating (1) whether the one or more of the MEC services are local to the MEC application, (2) whether the one or more of the MEC services are available only for local MEC application consumption, and (3) manner in which locality is being expressed; 
   wherein:
 the service availability data is to be provided in response to query data; 
 the locality data is configurable to comprise other data indicating the manner in which the locality is being expressed; and 
 the other data is configurable to indicate the locality in terms of one or more MEC resource zones. 
   
     
     
         23 . The MEC management entity circuitry of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the service availability data is generated in response to request data from the MEC application; and   the request data is associated with the query data.   
     
     
         24 . The MEC management entity circuitry of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the service availability data is to be provided via service availability subscription message data and/or service availability notification message data.   
     
     
         25 . The MEC management entity circuitry of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the other data is configurable to indicate that the one or more of the services are deployed as one or more VNF.   
     
     
         26 . The MEC management entity circuitry of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the other data is configurable to indicate the locality in terms of MEC host, NFVI POP, zone information, zone group, or node.   
     
     
         27 . The MEC management entity circuitry of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the one or more MEC resource zones are to be determined, at least in part, by a MEC orchestrator.   
     
     
         28 . The MEC management entity circuitry of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the locality data comprises isLocal attribute data and scopeOfLocality attribute data;   the isLocal attribute data is to indicate whether the one or more of the MEC services are local to the MEC application; and   the scopeOfLocality attribute data is to indicate the manner in which the locality is being expressed.   
     
     
         29 . The MEC management entity circuitry of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the locality data is configurable to be generated based upon one or more metrics associated with one or more of:
 quality of experience; 
 quality of service; 
 latency; and/or 
 cost. 
   
     
     
         30 . The MEC management entity circuitry of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the one or more MEC resource zones are to be determined based upon the one or more metrics.   
     
     
         31 . The MEC management entity circuitry of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the one or more MEC resource zones are to be determined based upon one or more boundaries associated with the one or more metrics.