The method of some embodiments allocates a secondary network interface for a pod, which has a primary network interface, in a container network operating on an underlying logical network. The method receives an ND that designates a network segment. The method receives the pod, wherein the pod includes an identifier of the ND. The method then creates a secondary network interface for the pod and connects the secondary network interface to the network segment. In some embodiments, the pods include multiple ND identifiers that each identify a network segment. The method of such embodiments creates multiple secondary network interfaces and attaches the multiple network segments to the multiple secondary network interfaces.

A network element is herein disclosed. The network element comprises a controller card and a pluggable card. The controller card comprises a first processor; a first memory, the first memory being a first non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions comprising a common software stack and a first microservice stack; and a first device; wherein the first microservice stack includes a first microservice operable to manage the first device. The pluggable card comprises a second processor; a second memory, the second memory being a second non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions comprising the common software stack and a second microservice stack; and a second device; wherein the second microservice stack includes a second microservice operable to manage the second device.

A network element is herein disclosed. The network element comprises a controller card and a pluggable card. The controller card comprises a first processor; a first memory, the first memory being a first non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions comprising a common software stack and a first microservice stack; and a first device; wherein the first microservice stack includes a first microservice operable to manage the first device. The pluggable card comprises a second processor; a second memory, the second memory being a second non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions comprising the common software stack and a second microservice stack; and a second device; wherein the second microservice stack includes a second microservice operable to manage the second device.

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for supporting network functions. In some example embodiments, there may be provided a method that includes selecting, by a network node, a network function instance and/or a group of network function instances, the selecting based on information indicating membership of the network function instance in the group of network functions instances and the information including session information for a request associated with a session of a user equipment, the session information indicating whether the network function instance and/or the group of network function instances is assigned to the user equipment; and forwarding, by the network node, the request to the selected network function instance and/or the selected group. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.

A method and system for enhanced time synchronization with lesser delay and jitter, from a gateway of a network or an external standard time source, over the internet, in a traditional network, including SDN, by NTP clients like newly added devices, spawned VMs and the like, by automatic deployment of the distributed NTP service through DHCP and DNS servers by spawning NTP demons (ntpd), according to the time synchronization requests received, thereby offloading the NTP functionality of the gateway and decreasing NTP traffic.

Method and Systems for configuring, monitoring, updating and validating Internet of Things (IoT) software code and configuration using blockchain smart contract technology. The use of smart contracts for delivering software code and or configuration scripts to IoT devices is an enhanced cybersecurity solution meant to ensure the security and integrity of IoT devices. The use of smart contracts is also shown how it can be used for verifying the integrity of the IoT devices software code and or configuration is a proactive method of cybersecurity. The proactive cybersecurity method will prevent man in the middle attacks as well as preventing rogue devices from impacting other IoT devices or networks.

A time-sensitive networking communication method and an apparatus, where the method may include: determining, by an application function network element, a virtual switching node identifier corresponding to a port identifier of a user plane function network element; determining a virtual port identifier of a virtual switching node identified by the virtual switching node identifier; obtaining attribute information of the virtual switching node, where the attribute information includes attribute information of a port identified by the port identifier of the user plane function network element and attribute information of a virtual port identified by the virtual port identifier; and sending the attribute information of the virtual switching node to a time-sensitive network, where the attribute information of the virtual switching node is used to request the time-sensitive network to register or update the virtual switching node based on the attribute information of the virtual switching node.

Method and system for performance assurance in a network slice subset instance (NSSI) or a network slice instance (NSI) of a network. The method comprises receiving, at a network management function (OAM) of the network, a trigger indicating a network performance deficiency; based on the trigger, determining, by a data analytics (DAM) function of the OAM (OAM DAM) in coordination with a network analytics function of one of the core network and a radio access network (RAN), an NSI/NSSI modification; and implementing, by the OAM, a change in at least one of: NSI/NSSI policies, configurations in at least one of core network functions, the RAN and network resources, in accordance with the NSF NSSI modification.

In one embodiment, a labeling service receives telemetry data for a cluster of endpoint devices in a first network environment. The endpoint devices in the cluster are clustered by a device classification service based on their telemetry data and labeled by a device type classifier of the device classification service as being of an unknown device type. The labeling service obtains a first device type label for the cluster of endpoint devices via a first user interface. The labeling service identifies one or more other network environments in which endpoint devices are located that have similar telemetry data as that of the cluster of endpoint devices. The labeling service obtains device type labels for the cluster of endpoint devices via a selected set of user interfaces from the identified one or more other network environments. The labeling service validates the first device type label for the cluster using the device type labels obtained via the selected set of user interfaces from the identified one or more other network environments.

A computing device may perform a method that includes graphically presenting a plurality of virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) elements which represent a plurality of stored VRF profiles, with each VRF element presenting profile data from one of the plurality of stored VRF profiles. The method may further include receiving input selecting a VRF element which represents and presents profile data from a selected stored VRF profile and receiving input modifying the profile data presented by the selected VRF element. A VRF profile may be generated, for a networking device of a networking infrastructure, based on the selected stored VRF profile and the input modifying the profile data presented by the selected VRF element. Thereafter, a VRF element may be graphically presented which represents and presents profile data from the generated VRF profile for the networking device.