Software-controlled cloud exchange

• US 10,237,355 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Equinix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Equinix Incorporated
• Inventors: Rao, Ravindra J N
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Tsung Y
• Application Number:
  US15/001,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20160337180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• 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 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/10 characterised by the switching fabric construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 : Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 : Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

In some examples, a method includes: providing, by a programmable network platform (PNP), a software interface to receive service requests for configuration of services; receiving a service request to configure a service within the edge network of the one or more network data centers; generating, by the PNP and based on the service request, a service definition that specifies one or more service requirements to implement the service; determining at least one network field unit that is capable of servicing the service request, wherein the network field unit controls a portion of the edge network; determining one or more particular, physical devices of the edge network that are usable to provide the service; and configuring physical devices of the edge network to provide the service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a programmable network platform (PNP), a software interface to receive respective service requests for configuration of different network services within respective portions of an edge network of a plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers that are controlled by the PNP, and within which a plurality of cloud service providers co-locate respective networks for interconnection at the plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers;

receiving, by the PNP and via the software interface, the respective service requests to configure different network services within the respective portions of the edge network of the plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers, wherein the respective portions of the edge network within the plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers connect through one or more switching fabrics of the plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers;

generating, by the PNP and based on the respective service requests, corresponding network service definitions that each specifies different service requirements to implement a different network service within a different one of the respective portions of the edge network;

determining, by the PNP and based on the corresponding network service definitions, corresponding network field units of a plurality of geographically dispersed network field units that are capable of servicing the respective service requests, wherein each of the plurality of geographically dispersed network field units controls physical devices of a respective portion of the edge network, wherein the corresponding network service definitions are usable by the corresponding network field units to configure the respective portions of the edge network to provide the different network services;

determining, by each of the corresponding network field units and based on the corresponding network service definitions, one or more particular, physical devices of the edge network that are usable to provide the different network services;

configuring, by each of the corresponding network field units, the one or more particular, physical devices of the edge network to provide the different network services;

receiving, by each of the corresponding network field units, corresponding requests for service assurance of the different network services specified by the corresponding network service definitions; and

providing, by each of the corresponding network field units, the service assurance by (1) obtaining service telemetry and analytics data for the network service specified by the corresponding network service definition, (2) analyzing the service telemetry and analytics data to identify at least one anomaly for the network service specified by the corresponding network service definition, and (3) in response to identifying the at least one anomaly, executing a remedial action to ensure the network service specified by the corresponding network service definition adheres to a service level agreement associated with the network service specified by the corresponding network service definition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the PNP, performance data for the different network services that are received from the corresponding network field units;

comparing, by the PNP, the performance data with the different service requirements and service telemetry and analytics data stored by the PNP to determine whether the different service requirements are satisfied by performance of the respective portions of the edge network;

responsive to determining that at least one of the different service requirements for the different network services is not satisfied, determining, by the PNP, at least one remedial action to satisfy the at least one of the different service requirements for the different network services; and

executing, by the PNP, the at least one remedial action.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the at least one remedial action comprises sending one or more instructions to at least one of the corresponding network field units to reconfigure at least the respective portion of the edge network or a different portion of the edge network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the different service requirements specify at least one of a type of service, a geographic location for the service, a bandwidth for the service, whether the bandwidth is burstable, an Excess Information Rate (EIR), a maximum latency for the bandwidth, an minimum availability level of the service, a cloud service provider for the service, or one or more security properties for the service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the different network services comprises at least one of a layer 3 interconnection service, a firewall service, a data storage service, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) service, an analytics service, network address translation service, or a deep-packet inspection service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the corresponding network field units configuring the different network services at the respective portions of the edge network, storing, by the PNP, corresponding billing information that indicates corresponding fees for provisioning the different network services to one or more requestors of the different network services; and

sending, by the PNP, an indication of the corresponding billing information to the one or more requestors of the different network services.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the different service requirements of the corresponding network service definitions do not specify particular, physical devices of the respective portions of the edge network, and wherein the corresponding network service definitions are usable by the corresponding network field units to configure the particular, physical devices of the respective portions of the edge network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

configuring at least one of the respective portions of the edge network to aggregate first cloud service traffic originating from a first cloud service provider and second cloud service traffic originating from a second cloud service provider; and

configuring the at least one of the respective portions of the edge network to deliver the aggregated cloud service traffic.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the one or more particular, physical devices of the edge network further comprises:

sending, by each of the corresponding network field units, and to at least one of a Software-Defined Network (SDN) controller or a hardware configurator, one or more instructions that are usable by the least one of the SDN controller or the hardware configurator to configure the one or more particular, physical devices of the edge network to provide the different network services.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring one or more particular, physical devices of the edge network to provide the different network services further comprises:

configuring a plurality of provider edge routers included in the portion of the edge network to define one or more virtual private network routing and forwarding instances (VRFs) for the different network services.

11. A programmable network platform (PNP) comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a memory comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to;

provide a software interface to receive respective service requests for configuration of different network services within respective portions of an edge network of a plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers that are controlled by the PNP, and within which a plurality of cloud service providers co-locate respective networks for interconnection at the plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers;

receive the respective service requests to configure different network services within the respective portions of the edge network of the plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers, wherein the respective portions of the edge network within the plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers connect through one or more switching fabrics of the plurality of geographically dispersed network data centers;

generate corresponding network service definitions that each specifies different service requirements to implement a different network service within a different one of the respective portions of the edge network;

determine, by the PNP and based on the corresponding network service definitions, corresponding network field units that are capable of servicing the respective service requests, wherein each of the plurality of geographically dispersed network field units controls physical devices of a respective portion of the edge network, wherein the corresponding network service definitions are usable by the corresponding network field units to configure the respective portions of the edge network to provide the different network services;

determine, based on the corresponding network service definitions, one or more particular, physical devices of the edge network that are usable to provide the different network services;

configure the one or more particular, physical devices of the edge network to provide the different network services; and

the network field units,

wherein each of the corresponding network fields units is configured to receive corresponding requests for service assurance of the different network services specified by the corresponding network service definitions, and

wherein each of the corresponding network fields units is configured provide the service assurance by (1) obtaining service telemetry and analytics data for the network service specified by the corresponding network service definition, (2) analyzing the service telemetry and analytics data to identify at least one anomaly for the network service specified by the corresponding network service definition, and (3) in response to identifying the at least one anomaly, executing a remedial action to ensure the network service specified by the corresponding network service definition adheres to a service level agreement associated with the network service specified by the corresponding network service definition.

12. The PNP of claim 11, wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:

monitor performance data for the different network services that are received from the corresponding network field units;

compare the performance data with the different service requirements and service telemetry and analytics data stored by the PNP to determine whether the different service requirements are satisfied by performance of the respective portions of the edge network;

responsive to determining that at least one of the different service requirements for the different network services is not satisfied, determine at least one remedial action to satisfy the at least one of the different service requirements for the different network services; and

execute the at least one remedial action.

13. The PNP of claim 12, wherein executing the at least one remedial action comprises sending one or more instructions to at least one of the corresponding network field units to reconfigure at least the respective portion of the edge network or a different portion of the edge network.

14. The PNP of claim 11, wherein each of the different service requirements specify at least one of a type of service, a geographic location for the service, a bandwidth for the service, whether the bandwidth is burstable, an Excess Information Rate (EIR), a maximum latency for the bandwidth, an minimum availability level of the service, a cloud service provider for the service, or one or more security properties for the service.

15. The PNP of claim 11, wherein each of the different network services comprises at least one of a layer 3 interconnection service, a firewall service, a data storage service, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) service, an analytics service, network address translation service, or a deep-packet inspection service.

16. The PNP of claim 11, wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:

responsive to the corresponding network field units configuring the different network services at the respective portions of the edge network, store corresponding billing information that indicates corresponding fees for provisioning the different network services to one or more requestors of the different network services; and

send an indication of the corresponding billing information to the one or more requestors of the different network services.

17. The PNP of claim 11, wherein the different service requirements of the corresponding network service definitions do not specify particular, physical devices of the respective portions of the edge network, and

wherein the corresponding network service definitions are usable by the corresponding network field units to configure the particular, physical devices of the respective portions of the edge network.