Disclosed are various embodiments for customer-defined capacity limit plans in communication networks. In one embodiment, a request for a service from a radio-based network is received from a first client device. A network function in the radio-based network is determined to be at a capacity limit. Service from the network function to a second client device to the network function is suspended in response to determining that the network function in the radio-based network is at the capacity limit and based at least in part on a rule set specific to the radio-based network. The first client device is provided access to the network function instead of the second client device.

A new traffic offloading technique in a communication system is provided. A communication apparatus according to the present invention includes: a first means for selecting, from among a plurality of network nodes including a first network node and a second network node, the second network node for a terminal capable of autonomous communication with a communication-counterpart equipment, wherein the first network node performs predetermined signal processing in a first network and the second network node operates a function of the first network node through a virtual machine in a second network; and a second means for sending communication data related to the terminal to the second network node selected.

A protocol independent network condition service (PINCS) apparatus is provided, comprising a memory storage comprising instructions and one or more processors in communication with the memory. The processors execute the instructions to receive a subscription for network condition information of at least one network from at least one network condition consumer (NCC) node, the network condition information being related to at least one target data flow provided to at least one node in the network via the NCC node, obtain information about a plurality of network conditions from at least one network condition provider (NCP) node configured to monitor a plurality of network conditions including network conditions related to the at least one target data flow, process the information about the plurality of network conditions to generate an aggregated network conditions information, and send the aggregated network conditions information the NCC node as indicated by the subscription.

Techniques for creating layer 2 (L2) extension networks are disclosed. One embodiment permits an L2 extension network to be created by deploying, configuring, and connecting a pair of virtual appliances in the data center and the cloud so that the appliances communicate via secure tunnels and bridge networks in the data center and the cloud. A pair of virtual appliances are first deployed in the data center and the cloud, and secure tunnels are then created between the virtual appliances. Thereafter, a stretched network is created by connecting a network interface in each of the virtual appliances to a respective local network, configuring virtual switch ports to which the virtual appliances are connected as sink ports that receive traffic with non-local destinations, and configuring each of the virtual appliances to bridge the network interface therein that is connected to the local network and tunnels between the pair of virtual appliances.

A method, system, and storage medium are provided. The method may include receiving, by a network repository function (NRF), registration information of each of a plurality of network functions (NFs), determining, by the NRF, load balance prioritization information for the plurality of NFs based on the received registration information, and transmitting, by the NRF to a service mesh control plane, the load balance prioritization information. The service mesh control plane may be configured to perform load balancing on the plurality of NFs based on the load balance prioritization information.

A radio access network control apparatus has at least one processor that performs: acquiring operational states of a plurality of radio access network nodes from a virtual infrastructure that virtually manages a set of the plurality of radio access network nodes; acquiring measured operational data from each of the radio access network nodes; and issuing an operational policy concerning the operation of each of the radio access network nodes, to at least one of the virtual infrastructure and each of the radio access network nodes, based on the operational state and the operational data. The issuing the operational policy includes issuing a resource allocation policy concerning the resource allocation of the plurality of radio access network nodes to the virtual infrastructure, and a traffic control policy concerning the traffic control of each of the radio access network nodes to each of the radio access network nodes.

A radio access network control apparatus has at least one processor that performs: acquiring operational states of a plurality of radio access network nodes from a virtual infrastructure that virtually manages a set of the plurality of radio access network nodes; acquiring measured operational data from each of the radio access network nodes; and issuing an operational policy concerning the operation of each of the radio access network nodes, to at least one of the virtual infrastructure and each of the radio access network nodes, based on the operational state and the operational data. The issuing the operational policy includes issuing a resource allocation policy concerning the resource allocation of the plurality of radio access network nodes to the virtual infrastructure, and a traffic control policy concerning the traffic control of each of the radio access network nodes to each of the radio access network nodes.

In one embodiment, the method includes determining that a traffic condition at a PCell used in New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR CA) exceeds a congestion threshold. The method further includes determining that a user equipment (UE) attached to the PCell is disposed in a downlink coverage area of at least one SCell used in the NR CA and based on the traffic condition at the PCell exceeding the congestion threshold and the UE being disposed in the downlink coverage area of the at least one SCell, reassigning at least a portion of downlink traffic between the PCell and the UE to a first SCell of the at least one SCell

Methods and apparatus for determining whether to admit a virtual network using a set of communication network resources are provided. Different network resources can be owned by different infrastructure providers. Virtual network requests include a spatial profile of traffic requirements to be accommodated, and a determination is made as to whether the request can be accommodated based on available network resources. The resources include available backhaul link capacities. The resources can include computing resources for supporting service functions of the virtual network. Monitored network resource usage and traffic corresponding to the virtual network can be used to adjust future requests and accommodations. When a virtual network cannot be accommodated, a counter-offer can be made. Accommodation may incorporate monetary considerations. A feasibility computation of the admission procedure is formulated.

The present invention discloses a data packet processing method and a device. The method includes: receiving, by a capability exposure function device, a first processing policy sent by a third-party application, where the first processing policy includes an external identifier of UE, an identifier of the third-party application, and a processing policy of a data packet sent by the UE to the third-party application; obtaining an internal identifier of the UE based on the external identifier of the UE; determining a second processing policy based on the internal identifier of the UE, where the second processing policy includes the internal identifier of the UE, the identifier of the third-party application, and the processing policy of the data packet; and configuring the second processing policy on a network side, where the second processing policy is used by a network side device to process the data packet.