A model traceability framework for network service management

Abstract

Automating enactment along with traceability management of processes using model-driven engineering methods could be of significant benefit to the Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) paradigm in view of its move towards zero-touch automation of the orchestration and management of network services (NS). Earlier, we proposed an integrated process modelling and enactment environment with traceability support, MAPLE-T, for NS management. In this paper, we extend MAPLE-T with the notion of intents. We propose the usage of intents at both the process model (PM) and model-transformation levels as part of our traceability information. We define intents as information representing the objective of the PM actions/activities and their implementations. We extend MAPLE-T with traceability visualization support to visualize trace links relating models at different levels through the captured intents. The intent-enriched traceability information and the enhanced visualization enable semantically richer traceability analysis. We apply our traceability generation and analysis approach to the NS design process in order to show the benefits of intents not only for the process, but also for the whole NS lifecycle management operations.