Patent ID: 11163607

Abstract:
A method for associating a network service (NS) with a virtualized network function (VNF) to enable a network manager (NM) to determine a relationship between the NS and the VNF and maintain the NS. The method includes sending, by the NM, an NS instantiation request message to a network function virtualization orchestrator (NFVO), where the NS instantiation request message carries the information about the NS. The method further includes receiving, by the NM, an NS instantiation completion message from the NFVO, where the NS instantiation completion message carries information about the NS and information about N VNFs. The method further includes determining a mapping relationship between the NS and the N VNFs according to the information about the NS and the information about the N VNFs, where information about each VNF in the information about the N VNFs represents the VNF in the N VNFs forming the NS, and N≥one.