Search

EP-4736502-A1 - MODEL FOR OPTIMIZING MANAGEMENT OF SECTOR CARRIERS

EP4736502A1EP 4736502 A1EP4736502 A1EP 4736502A1EP-4736502-A1

Abstract

A method performed by an electronic device for assigning computing resources for managing sector carriers in a telecommunication network. The method comprises constructing a linear programming model based at least on a set of information and a plurality of models. The set of information includes at least a first information on a current assignment of the sector carriers to computing resources. The plurality of models include: a first model including a first binary decision variable on the current assignment and a second binary decision variable on a proposed assignment. The first model provides a component of an objective function of the linear programming model. The method comprises solving the LP model to obtain a solution. The solution includes a final assignment for the sector carriers to the computing resources. The method comprises generating an assignment plan for the sector carriers corresponding to the solution.

Inventors

  • SZABÓ, Róbert
  • MOURADIAN, Carla
  • LI, Wubin

Assignees

  • Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230630

Claims (19)

  1. 1. A method (300) performed by an electronic device (110) for assigning computing resources (101-1, 101-2, 102-1, 102-2, 102-3) for managing sector carriers (103-1, 103-2, 103-3) in a telecommunication network (510), the method comprising: constructing (301) a linear programming model (201) based at least on a set of information (104-1, 104-2, 104-3) and a plurality of models (105-1, 105-2a, 105- 2b, 105-3, 105-4, 105-5), wherein the set of information includes at least a first information (104-1) on a current assignment of the sector carriers to computing resources, and wherein the plurality of models include: a first model (105-1) including a first binary decision variable on the current assignment and a second binary decision variable on a proposed assignment, wherein the first model provides a component of an objective function of the linear programming model, solving (302) the linear programming model to obtain a solution (204) for the linear programming model, wherein the solution includes a final assignment for the sector carriers to the computing resources; and generating (305) an assignment plan for the sector carriers corresponding to the solution.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of information includes a second information (104-2) on mobility requirements and/or resiliency requirements for sector carriers.
  3. 3. The method of one or more claims 1 to 2, wherein the set of information includes a third information (104-3) describing the characteristics of the computing resources.
  4. 4. The method of one or more claims 2 to 3, wherein the plurality of models includes a second model (105-2a, 105-2b, 105-4, 105-5) based on the second information and/or the third information, wherein the second model provides a component of the objective function of the linear programming model.
  5. 5. The method of one or more claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of models includes a third model (105-3) representing the number of computing resources to be reduced, wherein the linear programming model is constructed based on the third model if the number of the computing resources in the proposed assignment is lesser than the number of computing resources in the current assignment, and wherein the third model provides a component of the objective function of the linear programming model.
  6. 6. The method of one or more claims 1 to 5, wherein the first model (105-1) includes a first penalty term that is applied if the proposed assignment is different from the current assignment.
  7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the proposed assignment is different from the current assignment if the sector carriers are assigned to different computing resources than the computing resources to which the sector carriers are currently assigned.
  8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the different computing resources includes different virtual computing resources on the same physical computing resource, or different physical computing resources.
  9. 9. The method of one or more claims 1 to 5, wherein the first model (105-1) includes a second penalty term that is applied if the proposed assignment is same as the current assignment.
  10. 10. The method of one or more claims 1-9, wherein the solving comprises solving (303), iteratively, the linear programing model until the solution is obtained, wherein the solution is an optimized solution of one or more intermediate solutions.
  11. 11. The method of claim 10, comprising stopping (304) the solving of the linear programming model if the gain from optimizing reaches or crosses a pre-defined threshold.
  12. 12. The method of one or more claims 1-11, wherein generating (306) the assignment plan comprises: deploying, in the communication network, the assignment plan for the sector carriers corresponding to the solution.
  13. 13. The method of one or more claims 1 to 12, wherein the sector carriers comprises: one or more first sector carriers corresponding to a first spectrum band, one or more second sector carriers corresponding to a second spectrum band, and one or more third sector carriers corresponding to a third spectrum band.
  14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first spectrum band is a higher frequency band than the second spectrum band and the second spectrum band is higher frequency band than the third spectrum band.
  15. 15. The method of one or more claims 1 to 14, wherein the computing resource includes a physical server and/or a virtual container.
  16. 16. An electronic device (110) for assigning computing resources (101-1, 101-2, 102-1, 102- 2, 102-3) for managing sector carriers (103-1, 103-2, 103-3) in a telecommunication network (510), the electronic device comprising a memory (604, 701) and a processor (602, 703), the memory comprising instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to: construct a linear programming model (201) based at least on a set of information (104- 1, 104-2, 104-3) and a plurality of models (105-1, 105-2a, 105-2b, 105-3, 105-4, 105-5), wherein the set of information includes at least a first information on a current assignment of the sector carriers to computing resources, and wherein the plurality of models include: a first model (105-1) including a first binary decision variable on the current assignment and a second binary decision variable on a proposed assignment, wherein the first model provides a component of an objective function of the linear programming model, solve the linear programming model to obtain a solution (204) for the linear programming model, wherein the solution includes a final assignment for the sector carriers to the computing resources; and generate an assignment plan for the sector carriers corresponding to the solution.
  17. 17. The electronic device according to claim 16, the memory comprising instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform a method according to one or more claims 2 to 15.
  18. 18. A computer program (605, 702) comprising instructions which, when executed on an electronic device (110), cause the electronic device to carry out a method according to one or more of claims 1 to 15.
  19. 19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage means on which the computer program (605, 702) according to claim 18 is stored.

Description

MODEL FOR OPTIMIZING MANAGEMENT OF SECTOR CARRIERS TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of mobile networks; and more specifically, to techniques for assigning computing resources for managing sector carriers in a telecommunication network. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Cellular telecommunication networks, sometimes referred to herein as “mobile networks,” are relatively large networks encompassing a large number of wireless devices to enable other wireless devices (sometimes referred to as “user equipment” (UE) or “mobile devices”) to connect wirelessly to the mobile network. The mobile network is also typically connected to one or more other networks, e.g., the Internet. The mobile network enables the wireless devices currently connected to the mobile network to communicate over the network(s) with other wireless devices. The mobile network is designed to allow the mobile devices, e.g., mobile phones, tablets, laptops, loT devices and similar devices, to shift connection points with the mobile network in a manner that maintains continuous connections for the applications of the mobile devices. Typically, the mobile devices connect to the mobile network via radio access network (RAN) base stations, sometimes referred to as “access points”, which provide connectivity to a number of mobile devices for a local area or “cell”. Managing and configuring the mobile network including the cells of the mobile network is an administrative challenge as each cell can have different geographic and/or technological characteristics. [0003] In modern implementations of mobile networks, such as 5G, 6G, or beyond, a number of different resources such as radio resources and computing resources, e.g., compute, storage, transport, are provisioned to provide communication connections and services to a number of mobile devices. Achieving suitable performance of the mobile network, such as service availability and service assurance, may require the real-time prioritization of the different provisioned resources. The prioritization may be challenging, as a finite amount of resources are balanced with a number of competing and sometimes contradicting objectives while still meeting requirements on resiliency, mobility, server utilization, migration and/or energy efficiency requirements of the mobile network. For example, in a cloud-based RAN, resources are provisioned for virtualized distributed units (DUs), centralized units providing user plane functionality (CU-UP), centralized units providing control plane functionality (CU-CP), and the routing of enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) traffic to the virtualized DUs in Hub sites. The cloud-based RAN may have contradicting objectives, such as a high mobility requirement that incentivizes hosting multiple virtualized DU instances on a single server, and a resiliency requirement that incentivizes hosting the multiple virtualized DU instances on different servers. [0004] For implementations of mobile networks in 5G and beyond, efficient and robust end-to- end resource provisioning that involves radio, compute, storage, and transport, it is a key challenge to ensure service availability. Additionally, real-time prioritization of the computing resources to achieve a high level of performance and resilience across all domains is a must for service assurance. [0005] There are no existing solutions that apply a LP modeling approach toward sector carrier assignment and re-assignment in telecommunication. For example, in US8027260(B2) a mixed- integer programming model for minimizing leased access network costs is presented and is achieved by applying optimal network configuration mapping produced by a constructed MIP model. US20200357293(Al) presents an integer programming-based method and apparatus for outputting information toward flights-airport gates mapping optimization. US20220037883(Al) discloses a power distribution network reliability index calculation method based on mixed- integer LP model, and provides a power distribution network reliability index calculation method based on mixed-integer linear programming. SUMMARY [0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a method performed by an electronic device for assigning computing resources for managing sector carriers in a telecommunication network. The method comprises constructing a linear programming model based at least on a set of information and a plurality of models. The set of information includes at least a first information on a current assignment of the sector carriers to computing resources. The plurality of models include: a first model including a first binary decision variable on the current assignment and a second binary decision variable on a proposed assignment. The first model provides a component of an objective function of the model. The method comprises solving the LP model to obtain a solution. The solution includes a final assignment for the sector carriers to th