WO2025052441A1

WO2025052441A1 - Method and system for an automated network validation

Info

Publication number: WO2025052441A1
Application number: PCT/IN2024/051634
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aayush Bhatnagar; Pradeep Kumar Bhatnagar; Munir Sayyad; Mayur MURKYA; Vijayaramaraju KALIDINDI; Anup Patil; Rahul DERE; Rajkumar DESAI; A Lokesh Kumar REDDY; Venkatesh MUSULURI
Original assignee: Jio Platforms Ltd
Current assignee: Jio Platforms Ltd
Priority date: 2023-09-08
Filing date: 2024-09-05
Publication date: 2025-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 2026-03-08

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for an automated network validation The method comprises checking a network connection between a validation node [302] and one or more network node(s) [303]. The method further comprises receiving a first user input to add the one or more network node(s) [303] based on the checking of the network connection. The method further comprises triggering a validation task remotely on the one or more network node(s) [303] based on the validation task. The method further comprises fetching a physical connectivity report for the one or more network node(s) [303] based on the validation task and performing a validation of the physical connectivity report.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AN AUTOMATED NETWORK VALIDATION

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an automated network validation.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and advancements. The first generation of wireless communication technology was based on antilog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. The third- generation (3G) technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable of delivering more services to its users.

[0004] The network node(s) available in the present wireless communication systems may be connected via physical cables to communicate with each other. Network connectivity issues can result in production outages. In order to avoid that, validation of peer-to-peer (P2P) connections is performed in the pre-deployment phase. Validation of P2P connections is the process of inspecting whether the network environment is functioning as per the intent required. Peer-to-peer (P2P) validation can ensure that erroneous changes never reach the production network, providing a higher degree of protection than post-deployment validation. For this purpose of validation of peer-to-peer (P2P) connections, the cables that are connected from the interfaces of the network nodes to the switch ports are checked manually to see whether the cable connections correspond to the correct network node interfaces and switch port combinations.

[0005] The existing solutions provide for manually validating peer-to-peer connections of network nodes. However, automated validating of peer-to-peer connections may facilitate in minimizing time required to upgrade the platform and also reducing errors that may be introduced while validating peer-to-peer connections of network nodes.

[0006] Further, over the period of time various solutions have been developed to improve the validating of peer-to-peer connections of network nodes. However, there are certain challenges with existing solutions, as none of the existing solutions provide for automated validation of peer- to-peer connections of network nodes and are thus more time-consuming and prone to errors.

[0007] Hence, in view of these and other existing limitations, there arises an imperative need to automate network validation prior to onboarding any network application(s) on the network node(s) to overcome the above-mentioned limitations by providing a method and system for automated network validation in the network, which the present disclosure aims to address.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.

[0009] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for automated network validation.

[0010] It is another object of the present disclosure to perform automated validation of peer-to- peer connections of network nodes that consumes less time for upgrading a docker platform.

[0011] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that is less prone to errors.

SUMMARY [0012] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0013] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for an automated network validation. The method comprises checking, by a transceiver unit at a validation node, a network connection between the validation node and one or more network nodes. The method further comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit at the validation node, a first user input to add the one or more network nodes based on the checking of the network connection. The method further comprises triggering, by an execution unit at the validation node, a validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes. The method further comprises fetching, by an extraction unit, at the validation node, a physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes based on the validation task. And the method further comprises performing, by a performance unit, at the validation node, a validation of the physical connectivity report.

[0014] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method is performed prior to onboarding one or more applications on the one or more network nodes.

[0015] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the triggering of the validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes comprises performing, by a processing unit, at the validation node, logging into the one or more network nodes. The triggering further comprises identifying, by the processing unit, at the validation node, one or more interfaces on the one or more network nodes. The triggering further comprises initiating, by the processing unit, at the validation node, a instruction on each of the one or more interfaces.

[0016] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the instruction is a packet capture utility.

[0017] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the validation task is a peer-to-peer validation.

[0018] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the first user input is received at a user interface of the validation node. [0019] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the triggering of the validation task on the one or more network nodes is based on a second user input at the user interface of the validation node.

[0020] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the validation of the physical connectivity report is performed based on a mapping of the physical connectivity report with an intended connectivity document to identify erroneous connections.

[0021] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for an automated network validation, the system comprises a transceiver unit at a validation node. The transceiver unit is configured to check, a network connection between the validation node and one or more network nodes. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive, a first user input to add the one or more network nodes based on the checking of the network connection. The system further comprises an execution unit at the validation node. The execution unit is configured to trigger, a validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes. The system further comprises an extraction unit at the validation node. The extraction unit is configured to fetch, a physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes based on the validation task. The system also comprises a performance unit at the validation node. The performance unit is configured to perform a validation of the physical connectivity report.

[0022] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing instructions for an automated network validation, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes a transceiver unit at a validation node to check, a network connection between the validation node and one or more network nodes. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes the transceiver unit to receive, a first user input to add the one or more network nodes based on the checking of the network connection. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes an execution unit at the validation node to trigger, a validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes an extraction unit at the validation node to fetch, a physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes based on the validation task. Further, the executable code which, when executed, causes a performance unit at the validation node to perform a validation of the physical connectivity report.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may indicate the components using block diagrams and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components, electronic components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0024] FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of a 5th generation core (5GC) network architecture [100],

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device [200] upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system [300] for an automated network validation, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method flow diagram [400] for the automated network validation, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary method [500] depicting the process of automated validation of a network, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary system architecture [600] for the automated network validation, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0031] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein. Example embodiments of the present disclosure are described below, as illustrated in various drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings.

[0032] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0033] It should be noted that the terms "mobile device", "user equipment", "user device", “communication device”, “device” and similar terms are used interchangeably for the purpose of describing the disclosure. These terms are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure or imply any specific functionality or limitations on the described embodiments. The use of these terms is solely for convenience and clarity of description. The disclosure is not limited to any particular type of device or equipment, and it should be understood that other equivalent terms or variations thereof may be used interchangeably without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined herein.

[0034] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments. [0035] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a FIG.

[0036] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0037] As used herein, an “electronic device”, or “portable electronic device”, or “user device” or “communication device” or “user equipment” or “device” refers to any electrical, electronic, electromechanical and computing device. The user device is capable of receiving and/or transmitting one or parameters, performing function/s, communicating with other user devices and transmitting data to the other user devices. The user equipment may have a processor, a display, a memory, a battery and an input-means such as a hard keypad and/or a soft keypad. The user equipment may be capable of operating on any radio access technology including but not limited to IP-enabled communication, Zig Bee, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Near Field Communication, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, etc. For instance, the user equipment may include, but not limited to, a mobile phone, smartphone, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other device as may be obvious to a person skilled in the art for implementation of the features of the present disclosure.

[0038] Further, the user device and/or a system as described herein to implement technical features as disclosed in the present disclosure may also comprise a “processor” or “processing unit”, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. The processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input/output processing, and/or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor is a hardware processor.

[0039] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”, “a smartdevice”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”, “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and/or computing device or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The user equipment/device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from at least one of a transceiver unit, a processing unit, a storage unit, a detection unit and any other such unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0040] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.

[0041] As used herein “interface” or “user interface” refers to a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface may also be referred to a set of rules or protocols that define communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.

[0042] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.

[0043] As used herein the transceiver unit includes at least one receiver and at least one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals, information or a combination thereof between units/components within the system and/or connected with the system.

[0044] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing methods and systems of an automated network validation.

[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5th generation core (5GC) network architecture, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the 5GC network architecture [100] includes a user equipment (UE) [102], a radio access network (RAN) [104], an access and mobility management function (AMF) [106], a Session Management Function (SMF) [108], a Service Communication Proxy (SCP) [110], an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) [112], a Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF) [114], a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) [116], a Network Exposure Function (NEF) [118], a Network Repository Function (NRF) [120], a Policy Control Function (PCF) [122], a Unified Data Management (UDM) [124], an application function (AF) [126], a User Plane Function (UPF) [128], a data network (DN) [130], wherein all the components are assumed to be connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure.

[0046] Further, the 5G core architecture relies on a "Service-Based Architecture" (SB A) framework, where the architecture elements defined in terms of "Network Functions" (NFs) offer their services to all the other NFs and/or to any "consumers" that are permitted to make use of these provided services via interfaces of a common framework.

[0047] The Radio Access Network (RAN) [104] is the part of a mobile telecommunications system that connects the user equipment (UE) [102] to the core network (CN) and provides access to different types of networks (e.g., 5G network). It consists of radio base stations and the radio access technologies that enable wireless communication.

[0048] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) [106] is the 5G core network function responsible for managing access and mobility aspects, such as UE registration, connection, and reachability. It also handles mobility management procedures like handovers and paging.

[0049] The Session Management Function (SMF) [108] is the 5G core network function responsible for managing session-related aspects, such as establishing, modifying, and releasing sessions. It coordinates with the User Plane Function (UPF) [128] for data forwarding and handles IP address allocation and Quality of Service (QoS) enforcement. Further, the SMF [108] facilitates enforcement of session management related policy decisions from the PCF [122

[0050] The Service Communication Proxy (SCP) [110] is a network function in the 5G core network that facilitates communication between other network functions by providing a secure and efficient messaging service. It acts as a mediator for service-based interfaces.

[0051] The Authentication Server Function (AUSF) [112] is the network function in the 5G core responsible for authenticating UEs during registration and providing security services. It generates and verifies authentication vectors and tokens.

[0052] The Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF) [114] is the network function that provides authentication and authorization services specific to network slices. It ensures that UEs can access only the slices for which they are authorized.

[0053] The Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) [116] is the network function responsible for selecting the appropriate network slice for the UE based on factors such as subscription, requested services, and network policies.

[0054] The Network Exposure Function (NEF) [118] is the network function that exposes capabilities and services of the 5G network to external applications, enabling integration with third-party services and applications. [0055] The Network Repository Function (NRF) [120] is the network function that acts as a central repository for information about available network functions and services. It facilitates the discovery and dynamic registration of network functions.

[0056] The Policy Control Function (PCF) [122] enables efficient policy control and management, facilitating network behaviour control, network slicing, user equipment (UE) activities, and communication with other 5G core network functions. PCF is responsible for policy control decisions, such as QoS, charging, and access control, based on subscriber information and network policies. The PCF is responsible for policy control decisions and flow-based charging control functionalities.

[0057] The Unified Data Management (UDM) [124] is the network function that centralizes the management of subscriber data, including authentication, authorization, and subscription information.

[0058] The Application Function (AF) [126] is the network function that represents external applications interfacing with the 5G core network to access network capabilities and services. In an exemplary implementation, the application function (AF) [126] as shown in FIG. 1, resembles an application server that can interact with the other control -plane NFs. AF(s) [126] can exist for different application services and can be owned by the network operator or by trusted third parties. For instance, the AF [126] of an over-the-top application provider can influence routing, steering its traffic towards its external edge servers. For services considered to be trusted by the operator, the AF [126] can access Network Function(s) (NF) directly whereas untrusted or third-party AF(s) [126] would access the Network Functions through the NEF [118],

[0059] The User Plane Function (UPF) [128] is the network function responsible for handling user data traffic, including packet routing, forwarding, and QoS enforcement.

[0060] The Data Network (DN) [130] refers to a network that provides data services to user equipment (UE) [102] in a telecommunications system. The data services may include but are not limited to Internet services, private data network related services.

[0061] The present disclosure can be implemented on a computing device [200] as shown in FIG. 2. The computing device [200] implements the present disclosure in accordance with the 5G communication network architecture (as shown in FIG. 1). FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of the computing device [200] upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the computing device [200] may also implement a method [400] (as shown in FIG. 4) for automating network validation utilising the system [300] (as shown in FIG. 3). In an implementation, the computing device [200] may also implement a method [500] (as shown in FIG. 5) for automating network validation utilising the system [600] (as shown in FIG. 6). In another implementation, the computing device [200] itself implements the method for automated network validation using one or more units configured within the computing device [200], wherein said one or more units can implement the features as disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0062] The computing device [200] may include a bus [202] or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware processor [204] coupled with bus [202] for processing information. The hardware processor [204] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor. The computing device [200] may also include a main memory [206], such as a random-access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus [202] for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor [204], The main memory [206] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the processor [204], Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media accessible to the processor [204], render the computing device [200] into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions. The computing device [200] further includes a read only memory (ROM) [208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus [202] for storing static information and instructions for the processor [204],

[0063] A storage device [210], such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state drive is provided and coupled to the bus [202] for storing information and instructions. The computing device [200] may be coupled via the bus [202] to a display [212], such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for displaying information to a computer user. An input device [214], including alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the bus [202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor [204], Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller [216], such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor [204], and for controlling cursor movement on the display [212], The input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow the device to specify positions in a plane.

[0064] The computing device [200] may implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and/or program logic which in combination with the computing device [200] causes or programs the computing device [200] to be a special-purpose machine. According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the computing device [200] in response to the processor [204] executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory [206], Such instructions may be read into the main memory [206] from another storage medium, such as the storage device [210], Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory [206] causes the processor [204] to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.

[0065] The computing device [200] also may include a communication interface [218] coupled to the bus [202], The communication interface [218] provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link [220] that is connected to a local network [222], For example, the communication interface [218] may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface [218] may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface [218] sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

[0066] The computing device [200] can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), the network link [220] and the communication interface [218], In the Internet example, a server [230] might transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet [228], the ISP [226], the local network [222], the host [224] and the communication interface [218], The received code may be executed by the processor [204] as it is received, and/or stored in the storage device [210], or other non-volatile storage for later execution.

[0067] The present disclosure is implemented by the system [300] (as shown in FIG. 3). The system [300] may be implemented using the computing device [200] (as shown in FIG. 2). In an implementation, the computing device [200] may be connected to the system [300] to perform the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of the system [300] for an automated network validation, is shown, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system [300] comprises at least one validation node [302], which further comprises at least one transceiver unit [301], at least one user interface [309], at least one execution unit [304], at least one extraction unit [305], at least one performance unit [306] and at least one processing unit [307], The system [300] is connected to one or more network nodes [303] via one or more interfaces [308] for automating network validation. It is to be noted that the system [300] is configured to perform the automated network validation, prior to onboarding one or more applications on the one or more network nodes [303], It is further noted that functional architecture of the network (such as but not limited to 5G) core is flexibly designed to adopt implementation changes. The one or more network nodes [303] in the network within the control plane enable cross-domain interactions allowing other authorized network functions (third-party) to access their services. The network is designed as an interconnected system of Network Functions (NFs) [also known as fifth generation communication network (5GCN) network function NF)] that communicate through the one or more interfaces [308] (i.e., service-based interfaces or reference point interfaces). The Network Functions (NF(s)) within the 5G control plane will use servicebased interfaces for their interactions. The user plane function (UPF) [128], and radio interactions shall use the reference point interfaces. Each NF exposes specific functionality and provides services to other NFs. Therefore, any communication or routing between NFs or between the network nodes and NFs takes place through these interfaces. Interfaces are self-contained software modules that are reusable independently of each other and can be thought of as micro services. In an example, a N5 interface is used to connect the PCF (Policy Control Function) [122] and the AF (Application Function) [126], Further, the one or more network nodes are implemented to host applications to provide services to customers. The automated validation task as implemented by the system [300] is performed prior to installing the applications on the one or more network nodes [303], Also, all of the components/ units of the system [300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in the FIG.3, all units shown within the system [300] should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown, however, the system [300] may comprise multiple such units or the system [300] may comprise any such number of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the system [300] may reside in a server or a network entity. In yet another implementation, the system [300] may reside partly in the server/ network entity. [0068] The system [300] is configured for an automated network validation, with the help of the interconnection between the components/units of the system [300],

[0069] The transceiver unit [301] is configured to check a network connection between the validation node [302] and one or more network nodes [303], In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the validation node [302] represents a centralized node responsible for verifying the integrity and correctness by validating the one or more network node(s) [303], It is to be noted that, checking a network connection implies that a connection has been pre-established. In an implementation of the present disclosure, the connection may be established based on network addresses, hostnames, or other unique identifiers associated with the network nodes. Once identified, the validation node [302] initiates a connection using a suitable communication protocol. This may involve protocols like SSH, HTTPS, or others, depending on the network environment and the specific requirements of the NFs. The validation node [302] must authenticate itself to the network nodes using credentials, such as passwords, keys, or certificates. This confirms that the validation node [302] has the necessary permissions to interact with the network nodes. Finally, after successful authentication, a secure and stable communication channel is established between the validation node [302] and the network nodes.

[0070] The transceiver unit [301] is further configured to receive, a first user input to add the one or more network nodes [303] based on the checking of the network connection. The checking of the network connection refers to verifying if a communication link has been established, by exchanging request and response messages. In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the first user input is received at a user interface [309] of the validation node [302], It is to be noted that the first user input refers to receiving selection of the one or more network nodes, which are connected to the validation node. The connection here refers to a state where a communication link has been established between the validation node and the one or more network nodes.

[0071] The execution unit [304] is configured to trigger, a validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes [303], In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the validation task here refers to a peer-to-peer (P2P) validation. The P2P validation is the process of inspecting whether the network environment is functioning as per the intent required. The P2P validation helps to ensure that erroneous changes never reach the production network, thereby providing a higher degree of protection than post-deployment validation of the communication network. [0072] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, for the triggering of the validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes [303], the processing unit [307] is configured to perform, logging into the one or more network nodes [303], Further, the processing unit [307] is configured to identify one or more interfaces [308] on the one or more network nodes [303], Furthermore, the processing unit [307] is configured to initiate, a instruction on each of the one or more interfaces [308],

[0073] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the triggering of the validation task on the one or more network nodes [303] is based on a second user input at the user interface [309] of the validation node [302], The second user input refers to initiating a instruction to trigger execution of the validation task. Once the instruction is initiated, the necessary operations are performed to execute the validation task on the one or more network nodes. The triggering may involve the validation node [302] executing predefined workflows or scripts that have been designed to handle the validation process. In an exemplary implementation, the validation task comprises an execution of at least one of one or more script(s), instruction(s), command(s) and a set of code.

[0074] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the instruction is a packet capture utility. For example, the packet capture utility may be a tcpdump command. The tcpdump is a network packet analyzer command run from the user interface [309], The tcpdump is run to analyze network traffic by intercepting and displaying packets that are being created or received. The tcpdump command prints the headers of packets on the one or more interfaces [308], The validation task is initiated once the tcpdump command provides the details of the headers of the packets of the one or more interfaces [308] based upon the analysis of the network traffic.

[0075] Once the validation task is complete, a physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes [303] is prepared, which is further sent to the validation node [302] via an extraction unit [305], The extraction unit [305] is configured to fetch, the physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes [303] based on the validation task. In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the physical connectivity report is indicative of the actual physical connections within the communication network. The physical connectivity report may include but not limited to network diagrams, port mappings configurations, connections points. In an implementation, the physical connectivity report may refer to predefined peer to peer (P2P) connectivity details report, which contains server-side interface details and network switch side port details. The physical connectivity report also helps network administrators/ executives for troubleshooting and verifying installations as per the intended design of the network. The physical connectivity report may be fetched by running automation scripts (for example a packet capture utility) against each of the one or more network nodes [302] via one or more interfaces to fetch the actual connection port details. In an implementation, the packet capture utility may be a tcpdump command. Further, a connection port in a network refers to a port number which is a number assigned to uniquely identify a connection endpoint and to direct data to a specific service. Further, a network interface is the point of interconnection between a network node and a private or public network.

[0076] The performance unit [306] is configured to perform a validation of the physical connectivity report. In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the validation of the physical connectivity report is performed based on a mapping of the physical connectivity report with an intended connectivity document to identify erroneous connections. In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the intended connectivity document is a document that briefly outlines the planned architecture and connections between various network components. This serves as a blueprint for network design and implementation for meeting desired network performance and reliability goals. In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the erroneous connections occur when the one or more network node(s) [303]/ network function(s) fail to route data correctly. This is due to software bugs, incorrect protocol deployment, data loss etc. thereby impacting the user experience. Thus, the mapping of the physical connectivity report will lead to determination of incongruent loose ends/ connections which are automatically filtered when they do not map with the intended connectivity document. For example, a first network node is shown to be connected with a second network node over a connection port Pl l in the physical connectivity report. However, the intended connectivity document defines that the first network node should be connected to the second network node through a communication port Pl. The mapping of the physical connectivity report with the intended connectivity document will highlight this error and accordingly the network operators can initiate necessary action. The necessary actions may include steps such as but not limited to connection inspections, network run tests, hardware verifications etc.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram [400] for an automated network validation, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method [400] is performed by the system [300], Further, in an implementation, the system [300] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method [400] starts at step [402], [0078] At step [404], the method [400] comprises checking, by a transceiver unit [301], at a validation node [302], a network connection between the validation node [302] and one or more network nodes [303], In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the validation node [302] represents a centralized node responsible for verifying the integrity and correctness by validating the one or more network node(s) [303],

[0079] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method [400] is performed prior to onboarding one or more applications on the one or more network nodes [303], It is to be noted that, the one or more network nodes [303] are implemented to host applications to provide services to customers. The automated validation task as implemented by the method [400] is performed prior to installing the applications on the one or more network nodes [303],

[0080] At step [406], the method [400] comprises receiving, by the transceiver unit [301], at the validation node [302], a first user input to add the one or more network nodes [303] based on the checking of the network connection. It is to be noted that checking of the network connection implies that a connection has been pre-established. In an implementation of the present disclosure, the connection may be established based on network addresses, hostnames, or other unique identifiers associated with the NFs. Once identified, the validation node [302] initiates a connection using a suitable communication protocol. This may involve protocols like SSH, HTTPS, or others, depending on the network environment and the specific requirements of the one or more network nodes [303], The validation node [302] must authenticate itself to the one or more network nodes [303] using credentials, such as passwords, keys, or certificates. This confirms that the validation node [302] has the necessary permissions to interact with the one or more network nodes [303], Finally, after successful authentication, a secure and stable communication channel is established between the validation node [320] and the one or more network nodes [303],

[0081] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the first user input is received at a user interface [309] of the validation node.

[0082] At step [408], the method [400] comprises triggering, by an execution unit [304], at the validation node [302], a validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes [303],

[0083] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the triggering of the validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes [303] comprises performing, by a processing unit [307], at the validation node [302], logging into the one or more network nodes [303], The triggering further comprises identifying, by the processing unit [307], at the validation node [302], one or more interfaces [308] on the one or more network nodes [303], The triggering further comprises initiating, by the processing unit [307], at the validation node [302], a instruction on each of the one or more interfaces [308],

[0084] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the instruction is a packet capture utility. The packet capture utility, in an example may be a tcpdump command. The tcpdump is a network packet analyzer command run from the user interface [309], The tcpdump is run to analyze network traffic by intercepting and displaying packets that are being created or received. The tcpdump command prints the headers of packets on the one or more network interfaces [308], The validation task is initiated once the tcpdump command provides the details of the headers of the packets of the one or more network interfaces [308] based upon the analysis of the network traffic.

[0085] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the validation task is a peer-to-peer (P2P) validation. The P2P validation is the process of inspecting whether the network environment is functioning as per the intent required. The P2P validation helps to ensure that erroneous changes never reach the production network, thereby providing a higher degree of protection than postdeployment validation of the communication network.

[0086] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the triggering of the validation task on the one or more network nodes [303] is based on a second user input at the user interface [309] of the validation node [302],

[0087] At step [410], the method [400] comprises fetching, by an extraction unit [305], at the validation node [302], a physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes [303] based on the validation task. In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the physical connectivity report is indicative of the actual physical connections within the communication network. The physical connectivity report may include but not limited to network diagrams, port mappings configurations, connections points. In an implementation, the physical connectivity report may refer to predefined peer to peer (P2P) connectivity details report, which contains serverside interface details and network switch side port details. The physical connectivity report also helps in network administrators/ executives for troubleshooting and verifying installations as per the intended design of the network. The physical connectivity report may be fetched by running automation scripts (for example a packet capture utility) against each of the one or more network nodes [302] via one or more interfaces to fetch the actual connection port details. In an implementation, the packet capture utility may be a tcpdump command. Further, a connection port in a network refers to a port number which is a number assigned to uniquely identify a connection endpoint and to direct data to a specific service. Further, a network interface is the point of interconnection between a network node and a private or public network.

[0088] At step [412], the method [400] comprises performing, by a performance unit [306], at the validation node [302], a validation of the physical connectivity report. In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the performing of the validation of the physical connectivity report is done by comparing the physical connectivity report’s documented connections (based on intended design) against the actual physical network setup. The validation may include steps such as but not limited to connection inspections, network run tests, hardware verifications etc.

[0089] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the validation of the physical connectivity report is performed based on a mapping of the physical connectivity report with an intended connectivity document to identify erroneous connections. In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the intended connectivity document is a document that briefly outlines the planned the architecture and connections between various network components. This serves as a blueprint for network design and implementation for meeting desired network performance and reliability goals. In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the erroneous connections occur when the one or more network node(s) [303]/ network function(s) fail to route data correctly. This is due to software bugs, incorrect protocol deployment, data loss etc. thereby impacting the user experience. Thus, the mapping of the physical connectivity report will lead to determination of incongruent loose ends/ connections which are automatically filtered when they do not map with the intended connectivity document.

[0090] Thereafter, the method [400] terminates at step [414],

[0091] Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary method [500] depicting the process of automated validation of a network, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The process of automated network validation is performed in the following manner:

Step 1 : A list of servers IP [or IP of the network function node(s) [303] (as shown in FIG. 3)] is added to a P2P validation server [601] (as shown in FIG. 6). It is important to note that the list of servers IP is added upon checking the connectivity with one or more target fifth- generation (5G) communication network function (NF)/ 5GC NF [602] (as shown in FIG. 6) from the peer-to-peer (P2P) validation server [601],

Step 2: Thereafter, P2P validation is initiated/ played by a P2P validation automation playbook.

Step 3: Then, the P2P validation automation playbook enables login to all the server(s) / network node(s) [303] of the network which are to be validated prior to onboarding of any network application(s) on the server(s)/ network node(s) [303],

Step 4: The respective interface(s) [308] (as shown FIG. 3) of respective server(s)/ network node(s) [303] are identified by the P2P validation automation playbook.

Step 5: A ‘tcpdump’ command is executed by the P2P validation automation playbook at a user interface [309] (as shown in FIG. 3) of the P2P server [601], The command helps in fetching the physical connectivity details from a physical connectivity report of the server(s)/ network node(s) [303] which was generated at the P2P server [601],

Step 6: Thus, the automated validation of the network is done on the basis of the generated physical connectivity report.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 6, an exemplary system architecture [600] for the automated network validation is shown, in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be implemented by the system [600] having the computing device [200] (as shown in FIG. 2). In an implementation, the computing device [200] may be connected to the system [600] to perform the present disclosure. The system [600] comprises a peer-to-peer (P2PP validation server [601] which is connected to target fifth-generation (5G) communication network function(s) (NF)/ 5GC NF [602] via one or more interface(s) [308] (as shown in FIG. 3). The P2P validation server [601] is configured to perform peer-to-peer (P2P) validation in a pre-deployment phase (i.e. prior to onboarding of application(s)) on the target 5GC NF(s). The P2P validation is the process of inspecting whether the network environment is functioning as per the intent required. The P2P validation can ensure that erroneous changes never reach the production network thereby providing a higher degree of protection than the post-deployment phase.

[0093] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing instructions for an automated network validation, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system [300], causes a transceiver unit [301] at a validation node [302] to check, a network connection between the validation node [302] and one or more network nodes [303], Further, the executable code which, when executed causes the transceiver unit [301] to receive, a first user input to add the one or more network nodes [303] based on the checking of the network connection. Further, the executable code which, when executed causes an execution unit [304] at the validation node [302] to trigger, a validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes [303], Further, the executable code which, when executed causes an extraction unit [305] at the validation node [302] to fetch, a physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes [303] based on the validation task. Further, the executable code which, when executed causes a performance unit [306] at the validation node [302] to perform a validation of the physical connectivity report.

[0094] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged that the functionality described for the various components/units can be implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0095] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for automated network validation i.e., peer-to-peer connections of network node(s). The present disclosure thus enables one to consume less time for validating peer-to-peer connections. Further, the present solution for validation of peer-to-peer connections of network node(s) is less prone to errors.

[0096] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method [400] for an automated network validation, the method [400] comprising: checking, by a transceiver unit [301], at a validation node [302], a network connection between the validation node [302] and one or more network nodes [303]; receiving, by the transceiver unit [301], at the validation node [302], a first user input to add the one or more network nodes [303] based on the checking of the network connection; triggering, by an execution unit [304], at the validation node [302], a validation task, remotely, on the one or more network nodes [303]; fetching, by an extraction unit [305], at the validation node [302], a physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes [303] based on the validation task; and performing, by a performance unit [306], at the validation node [302], a validation of the physical connectivity report.

2. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method [400] is performed prior to onboarding one or more applications on the one or more network nodes [303],

3. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the triggering of the validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes [303] comprises: performing, by a processing unit [307], at the validation node [302], logging into the one or more network nodes [303]; identifying, by the processing unit [307], at the validation node [302], one or more interfaces [308] on the one or more network nodes [303]; initiating, by the processing unit [307], at the validation node [302], an instruction on each of the one or more interfaces [308],

4. The method [400] as claimed in claim 3, wherein the instruction is a packet capture utility.

5. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the validation task is a peer-to-peer validation.

6. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first user input is received at a user interface [309] of the validation node.

7. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the triggering of the validation task on the one or more network nodes [303] is based on a second user input at the user interface [309] of the validation node [302],

8. The method [400] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the validation of the physical connectivity report is performed based on a mapping of the physical connectivity report with an intended connectivity document to identify erroneous connections.

9. A system [300] for an automated network validation, the system [300] comprising: a transceiver unit [301] at a validation node [302], wherein the transceiver unit [301] is configured to: o check, a network connection between the validation node [302] and one or more network nodes [303]; o receive, a first user input to add the one or more network nodes [303] based on the checking of the network connection; an execution unit [304] at the validation node [302], connected at least with the transceiver unit [301], wherein the execution unit [304] is configured to: o trigger, a validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes [303]; an extraction unit [305] at the validation node [302], connected at least with the execution unit [304], wherein the extraction unit [305] is configured to: o fetch, a physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes [303] based on the validation task; and a performance unit [306] at the validation node [302], connected at least with the extraction unit [305], wherein the performance unit [306] is configured to: o perform a validation of the physical connectivity report.

10. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the system [300] is configured to perform the automated network validation, prior to onboarding one or more applications on the one or more network nodes [303],

11. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the triggering of the validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes [303] comprises: a processing unit [307] at the validation node [302], configured to: o perform, logging into the one or more network nodes [303]; o identify, one or more interfaces [308] on the one or more network nodes [303]; o initiate, an instruction on each of the one or more interfaces [308],

12. The system [300] as claimed in claim 11, wherein the instruction is a packet capture utility.

13. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the validation task is a peer-to-peer validation.

14. The system [400] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first user input is received at a user interface [309] of the validation node [302],

15. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the triggering of the validation task on the one or more network nodes [303] is based on a second user input at the user interface [309] of the validation node [302],

16. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein the validation of the physical connectivity report is performed based on a mapping of the physical connectivity report with an intended connectivity document to identify erroneous connections.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instruction for an automated network validation, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system [300], causes: a transceiver unit [301] at a validation node [302] to: o check, a network connection between the validation node [302] and one or more network nodes [303]; o receive, a first user input to add the one or more network nodes [303] based on the checking of the network connection; an execution unit [304] at the validation node [302] to: o trigger, a validation task remotely on the one or more network nodes [303]; an extraction unit [305] at the validation node [302] to: o fetch, a physical connectivity report for the one or more network nodes [303] based on the validation task; and a performance unit [306] at the validation node [302] to: o perform a validation of the physical connectivity report.