Method and system for dynamically distributing and controlling a virtual gateway

• US 10,097,472 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dowlatkhah, Sangar, Shaw, Venson, Cui, Zhi
• Primary Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US15/265,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, detecting network traffic of a traffic flow at a traffic controller of a first portion of a software-defined network, wherein the detected network traffic is based on a service of a number of services. A source of the detected network traffic is identified based on the detected traffic, wherein the traffic flow is between a subscriber device and a service platform. The service is identified based on the detected network traffic, and a service requirement is determined based on the identifying of the service. A virtual network function of a plurality of virtual network functions is selected based on the source of the network traffic and the service requirement, and a traffic flow is facilitated between the subscriber device and the service platform by way of the virtual network function. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving a request for a network traffic flow at a first traffic flow controller of a first portion of a software-defined network, wherein the request for the network traffic flow is based on a service of a plurality of services;

identifying a source of the network traffic flow, wherein the network traffic flow is between an end user device and a service platform of a plurality of service platforms;

identifying the service of the plurality of services based on the request for the network traffic flow;

determining a service requirement based on the identifying of the service of the plurality of services;

selecting a virtual network function of a plurality of virtual network functions based on the source of the network traffic flow and based on the service requirement; and

configuring the network traffic flow between the end user device and the service platform by way of the virtual network function of the plurality of virtual network functions.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first traffic flow controller communicates with each of the plurality of service platforms according to a flow-control protocol of a software defined network.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first traffic flow controller is in communication with a second traffic flow controller of a second portion of the software-defined network, wherein the second traffic flow controller is in communication with each of the plurality of service platforms.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the configuring of the network traffic flow comprises establishing the network traffic flow through the first portion of the software-defined network, the second portion of the software-defined network, or both based on the service requirement.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the service requirement comprises one of latency, delay, priority, service type, security, or any combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the virtual network function of the plurality of virtual network functions is further based on the service requirement.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the network traffic flow comprises an update, defined by a service provider, to a function of the end user device.

8. A method, comprising:

intercepting, by a processing system including a processor, a request for a network traffic flow at a first traffic flow controller of a first portion of a software-defined network, to obtain a requested network traffic flow, wherein the requested network traffic flow is based on a service of a plurality of services;

identifying, by the processing system, a source of the requested network traffic flow, wherein the requested network traffic flow is between an end user device and a service platform of a plurality of service platforms;

identifying, by the processing system, the service of the plurality of services based on the requested network traffic flow;

determining, by the processing system, a service requirement based on the identifying of the service of the plurality of services;

selecting, by the processing system, a virtual network function of a plurality of virtual network functions based on the source of the network traffic flow and the service requirement; and

facilitating, by the processing system, the requested network traffic flow between the end user device and the service platform by way of the virtual network function of the plurality of virtual network functions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first traffic flow controller communicates with each of the plurality of service platforms according to a flow-control protocol of a software defined network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first traffic flow controller communicates a second traffic flow controller of a second portion of the software-defined network, wherein the second traffic flow controller is in communication with each of the plurality of service platforms.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the facilitating of the requested network traffic flow comprises establishing the requested network traffic flow through the first portion of the software-defined network, the second portion of the software-defined network, or both based on the service requirement.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the service requirement comprises one of latency, delay, priority, service type, security, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the selecting of the virtual network function of the plurality of virtual network functions is further based on the service requirement.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the requested network traffic flow comprises an update, defined by a service provider, to a function of the end user device.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

detecting a request for a network traffic flow at a first traffic flow controller of a first portion of a software-defined network, to obtain a requested network traffic flow, wherein the requested network traffic flow is based on a service of a plurality of services;

determining a source of the requested network traffic flow, wherein the requested network traffic flow is between a subscriber device and a service platform of a plurality of service platforms;

identifying the service of the plurality of services based on the requested network traffic flow;

determining a service requirement based on the identifying of the service of the plurality of services;

selecting a virtual network function of a plurality of virtual network functions based on the source of the requested network traffic flow and the service requirement; and

facilitating the requested network traffic flow between the subscriber device and the service platform by way of the virtual network function of the plurality of virtual network functions.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first traffic flow controller communicates with each of the plurality of service platforms according to a flow-control protocol of a software defined network.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first traffic flow controller communicates a second traffic flow controller of a second portion of the software-defined network, wherein the second traffic flow controller is in communication with each of the plurality of service platforms.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein facilitating of the requested network traffic flow comprises establishing the requested network traffic flow through the first portion of the software-defined network, the second portion of the software-defined network, or both based on the service requirement.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the service requirement comprises one of latency, delay, priority, service type, security, or any combination thereof.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the selecting of the virtual network function of the plurality of virtual network functions is further based on the service requirement.