Network functions virtualization infrastructure comprising virtual switch for internet of things data

• US 10,091,100 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Duerk, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Roudani, Oussama
• Application Number:
  US15/079,896
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/621 Individual queue per connection or flow, e.g. per VC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

An apparatus in one embodiment comprises a processing platform configured to implement network functions virtualization infrastructure. The network functions virtualization infrastructure comprises a virtual switch configured to communicate with a plurality of endpoint devices over a first network. The processing platform further comprises a message buffer, and an uplink transmitter configured to communicate with cloud infrastructure over a second network. The virtual switch is configured to separate traffic received from the endpoint devices over the first network into at least first and second portions. The first portion comprises IoT data traffic from a first subset of the endpoint devices that are identified as respective IoT endpoint devices, and is provided to the message buffer. The second portion comprises non-IoT data traffic from a second subset of the endpoint devices that are not identified as respective IoT endpoint devices, and is provided directly via the uplink transmitter to the cloud infrastructure.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processing platform comprising a plurality of processing devices each comprising a processor coupled to a memory;

the processing platform being configured to implement network functions virtualization infrastructure;

wherein the network functions virtualization infrastructure comprises a virtual switch configured to communicate with a plurality of endpoint devices over a first network;

the processing platform further comprising;

a message buffer; and

an uplink transmitter configured to communicate with cloud infrastructure over a second network;

wherein the virtual switch is configured to separate traffic received from the endpoint devices over the first network into at least first and second portions;

the first portion of the received traffic comprising Internet of Things (IoT) data traffic from a first subset of the endpoint devices that are identified as respective IoT endpoint devices, with the first portion of the received traffic being provided to the message buffer;

the second portion of the received traffic comprising non-IoT data traffic from a second subset of the endpoint devices that are not identified as respective IoT endpoint devices, with the second portion of the received traffic being provided to the uplink transmitter for delivery to the cloud infrastructure in a manner that bypasses the message buffer;

wherein the first portion of the traffic is subject to one or more additional processing operations in the message buffer;

wherein a given one of the one or more additional processing operations comprises a local triggering operation; and

wherein a particular message of the first portion identified by said local triggering operation as requiring an automated local response is returned to the virtual switch for delivery to a local endpoint device via the first network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least part of the first portion is provided from the message buffer to the uplink transmitter for delivery to the cloud infrastructure responsive to satisfaction of one or more designated conditions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the message buffer and the uplink transmitter are implemented at least in part within the network functions virtualization infrastructure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the message buffer comprises a replicated message buffer implemented by a dynamically-reconfigurable server cluster.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the dynamically-reconfigurable server cluster is part of the network functions virtualization infrastructure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the virtual switch comprises a virtual IoT gateway.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a given one of the one or more designated conditions comprises availability of a threshold amount of bandwidth for delivery of at least part of the first portion of the received traffic from the uplink transmitter to the cloud infrastructure.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a given one of the one or more additional processing operations comprises a filtering operation.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein a particular message of the first portion identified by said filtering operation as a priority message is forwarded to the uplink transmitter for delivery to the cloud infrastructure on a priority basis before other messages of the first portion that are not so identified.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first network comprises an access network comprising one or more wireless base stations and the second network comprises a wide area network.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the virtual switch comprises an IP networking switch that separates the received traffic into the first and second portions utilizing IP information of the received traffic.

13. An information processing system comprising the apparatus of claim 1.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processing platform comprising a plurality of processing devices each comprising a processor coupled to a memory;

the processing platform being configured to implement network functions virtualization infrastructure;

wherein the network functions virtualization infrastructure comprises a virtual switch configured to communicate with a plurality of endpoint devices over a first network;

the processing platform further comprising;

a message buffer; and

an uplink transmitter configured to communicate with cloud infrastructure over a second network;

wherein the virtual switch is configured to separate traffic received from the endpoint devices over the first network into at least first and second portions;

the first portion of the received traffic comprising Internet of Things (IoT) data traffic from a first subset of the endpoint devices that are identified as respective IoT endpoint devices, with the first portion of the received traffic being provided to the message buffer;

the second portion of the received traffic comprising non-IoT data traffic from a second subset of the endpoint devices that are not identified as respective IoT endpoint devices, with the second portion of the received traffic being provided to the uplink transmitter for delivery to the cloud infrastructure in a manner that bypasses the message buffer;

wherein the IoT endpoint devices comprise endpoint devices that have registered with the virtual switch as IoT endpoint devices and the non-IoT endpoint devices comprise endpoint devices that have not registered with the virtual switch as IoT endpoint devices;

the registration of the endpoint devices with the virtual switch as IoT endpoint devices comprising prior registration of Internet Protocol network address information of those endpoint devices with the virtual switch;

the prior registration occurring prior to receipt of the traffic subject to separation.

14. A method comprising:

providing network functions virtualization infrastructure comprising a virtual switch configured to communicate with a plurality of endpoint devices over a first network;

separating traffic received from the endpoint devices over the first network into at least first and second portions in the virtual switch;

the first portion of the received traffic comprising Internet of Things (IoT) data traffic from a first subset of the endpoint devices that are identified as respective IoT endpoint devices;

the second portion of the received traffic comprising non-IoT data traffic from a second subset of the endpoint devices that are not identified as respective IoT endpoint devices;

providing the first portion of the received traffic to a message buffer; and

providing the second portion of the received traffic to an uplink transmitter for delivery to cloud infrastructure in a manner that bypasses the message buffer;

wherein the first portion of the traffic is subject to one or more additional processing operations in the message buffer;

wherein a given one of the one or more additional processing operations comprises a local triggering operation; and

wherein a particular message of the first portion identified by said local triggering operation as requiring an automated local response is returned to the virtual switch for delivery to a local endpoint device via the first network.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing at least part of the first portion from the message buffer to the uplink transmitter for delivery to the cloud infrastructure responsive to satisfaction of one or more designated conditions.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein a given one of the one or more designated conditions comprises availability of a threshold amount of bandwidth for delivery of at least part of the first portion of the received traffic from the uplink transmitter to the cloud infrastructure.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the message buffer comprises a replicated message buffer implemented by a dynamically-reconfigurable server cluster.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by at least one processing device causes said at least one processing device:

to provide network functions virtualization infrastructure comprising a virtual switch configured to communicate with a plurality of endpoint devices over a first network;

to separate traffic received from the endpoint devices over the first network into at least first and second portions in the virtual switch;

the first portion of the received traffic comprising Internet of Things (IoT) data traffic from a first subset of the endpoint devices that are identified as respective IoT endpoint devices;

the second portion of the received traffic comprising non-IoT data traffic from a second subset of the endpoint devices that are not identified as respective IoT endpoint devices;

to provide the first portion of the received traffic to a message buffer; and

to provide the second portion of the received traffic to an uplink transmitter for delivery to cloud infrastructure in a manner that bypasses the message buffer;

wherein the first portion of the traffic is subject to one or more additional processing operations in the message buffer;

wherein a given one of the one or more additional processing operations comprises a local triggering operation; and

wherein a particular message of the first portion identified by said local triggering operation as requiring an automated local response is returned to the virtual switch for delivery to a local endpoint device via the first network.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the program code when executed by said at least one processing device further causes said at least one processing device:

to provide at least part of the first portion from the message buffer to the uplink transmitter for delivery to the cloud infrastructure responsive to satisfaction of one or more designated conditions.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the message buffer comprises a replicated message buffer implemented by a dynamically-reconfigurable server cluster.