Third party network and network slice management

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication network which is configured to enable instantiation of network slices which represent virtual networks. The invention further relates to a content application server (CAS) for providing an application service via a network slice to at least one user equipment (UE). A network function (SREF) is provided which on the one hand may have access to one or more slice management network functions (CSMF, NSMF, NSSMF) and on the other hand may be accessible to the CAS. The network function (SREF) may abstract the properties of the network slice using a data structure representing a slice object and expose these abstracted properties to the CAS by providing access to the slice object. The slice object may comprise modifiable properties which represent modifiable properties of the corresponding network slice. The CAS may at least in part manage the network slice by modifying one or more modifiable properties, and the SREF may then translate the modified properties into one or more requests for the slice management network functions. The SREF may thereby enable the CAS to perform slice management, while at the same time reducing the complexity of the slice management.