Application-policy-based virtual SDN controller system

• US 10,491,503 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Petrick, Christopher Stephen, Hamdi, Rabah S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US15/477,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20180288002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/14 using software, i.e. software packages network security related monitoring H04L63/1408
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

An application-policy-based SDN controller system includes a first device running a first application, and a second device. Each of the first device and the second device are coupled to a SDN network via one of a plurality of networking devices in the SDN network. A first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller determines a first application communication flow path through the SDN network for first application communications that are between the first device and the second device and that involve the first application. The first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller then provides at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a first subset of the plurality of networking devices that are included in the first application communication flow path. The at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the first subset of the plurality of networking devices to transmit the first application communications such that the first application communications satisfy at least one network property.

Claims

1. An application-policy-based Software Defined Network (SDN) controller system, comprising:

a first device that is configured to run a first application;

a second device;

a physical Software Defined Networking (SDN) network that includes a plurality of physical networking devices, wherein each of the first device and the second device is coupled to the physical SDN network via at least one of the plurality of physical networking devices; and

a first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller that is associated with the first application and that is provided on a first virtualization device that is not a physical SDN controller device, that is either included in the physical SDN network or coupled to the physical SDN network, and that is part of at least one application communication flow path enabled by the physical SDN network, wherein the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is configured to;

determine a first application communication flow path through the physical SDN network for first application communications that are between the first device and the second device and that involve the first application; and

provide at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a first subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the first application communication flow path, wherein the at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the first subset of the plurality of physical networking devices to transmit the first application communications such that the first application communications satisfy at least one network property.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first virtualization device is provided by the first device that runs the first application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first virtualization device is provided by one of the plurality of physical networking devices.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a backup virtual application-policy-based SDN controller that is provided on a second virtualization device that is different than the first virtualization device, wherein the backup virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is configured to perform the operations of the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller in the event of the unavailability of the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is configured to:

determine a second application communication flow path through the physical SDN network for second application communications that are between the first device and the second device and that involve the first application; and

provide at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the second application communication flow path and that include at least one physical networking device that is not included in the first subset of the plurality of physical networking devices, wherein the at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices to transmit the second application communications such that the second application communications satisfy at least one network property.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third device that is configured to run a second application that is a different type of application than the first application; and

a second virtual application-policy-based SDN controller that is associated with the second application and not the first application, and that is provided on a second virtualization device that is not a physical SDN controller device, that is either included in the physical SDN network or coupled to the physical SDN network, and that is part of at least one application communication flow path enabled by the physical SDN network, wherein the second virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is configured to;

determine a second application communication flow path through the physical SDN network for second application communications that are between the second device and the third device and that involve the second application; and

provide at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the second application communication flow path and that include at least one physical networking device that is not included in the first subset of the plurality of physical networking devices, wherein the at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices to transmit the second application communications such that the second application communications satisfy at least one network property.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a physical SDN controller that is coupled to each of the plurality of physical networking devices in the physical SDN network, wherein the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is configured to provide the at least one application-policy-based flow rule through the physical SDN controller to each of the first subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the first application communication flow path.

8. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

a communication subsystem;

a processing system that is coupled to the communication subsystem; and

a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes first instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a first virtual application-policy-based Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller that is virtualized using the communication subsystem, the processing system, and the memory system and that is configured to;

determine a first application communication flow path through a physical SDN network that is coupled to the communication subsystem, wherein the first application communication flow path is determined for first application communications that are between a first device and a second device and that involve a first application that is associated with the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller; and

provide at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a first subset of a plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the first application communication flow path through the physical SDN network, wherein the at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the first subset of the plurality of networking devices to transmit the first application communications such that the first application communications satisfy at least one network property,

wherein the memory system also includes second instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations of an application flow path device that is either included in the physical SDN network or coupled to the physical SDN network, and that is part of an application communication flow path enabled by the physical SDN network.

9. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is provided on the first device that runs the first application.

10. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is provided on one of the plurality of physical networking devices.

11. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is configured to:

determine a second application communication flow path through the physical SDN network, wherein the second application communication flow path is provided for second application communications that are between the first device and the second device and that involve the first application; and

provide at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the second application communication flow path through the physical SDN network, wherein the at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices to transmit the second application communications such that the second application communications satisfy at least one network property.

12. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a second virtual application-policy-based SDN controller that is configured to:

determine a second application communication flow path through the physical SDN network, wherein the second application communication flow path is provided for second application communications that are between the second device and a third device and that involve a second application, wherein the second virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is associated with the second application, and wherein the second virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is not associated with the first application; and

provide at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the second application communication flow path through the physical network, wherein the at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices to transmit the second application communications such that the second application communications satisfy at least one network property.

13. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is configured to provide the at least one application flow rule through a physical SDN controller to each of the first subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the first application communication flow path.

14. A method for application-policy-based Software Defined Networking (SDN) control comprising:

determining, by a first virtual application-policy-based Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller, a first application communication flow path through physical SDN network, wherein the first application communication flow path is determined for first application communications that are between a first device that runs a first application and a second device, and that involve the first application that is associated with first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller, wherein the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is provided on a first virtualization device that is not a physical SDN controller device, that is either included in the physical SDN network or coupled to the physical SDN network, and that is part of at least one application communication flow path enabled by the physical SDN network; and

providing, by the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller, at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a first subset of a plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the first application communication flow path through the physical SDN network, wherein the at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the first subset of the plurality of physical networking devices to transmit the first application communications such that the first application communications satisfy at least one network property.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first virtualization device is provided by the first device that runs the first application.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first virtualization device is provided by one of the plurality of physical networking devices.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, by a backup virtual application-policy-based SDN controller that is provided on a second virtualization device that is different than the first virtualization device, that the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is unavailable; and

performing, by the backup virtual application-policy-based SDN controller, the operations of the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, by the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller, a second application communication flow path through the physical SDN network for second application communications that are between the first device and the second device and that involve the first application; and

providing, by the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller, at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the second application communication flow path and that include at least one physical networking device that is not included in the first subset of the plurality of networking devices, wherein the at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices to transmit the second application communications such that the second application communications satisfy at least one network property.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, by a second virtual application-policy-based SDN controller, a second application communication flow path through the physical SDN network, wherein the second application communication flow path is provided for second application communications that are between the second device and a third device and that involve a second application, wherein the second virtual application-policy-based SDN controller is associated with the second application and not the first application, and is provided on a second virtualization device that is not a physical SDN controller device, that is either included in the physical SDN network or coupled to the physical SDN network, and that is part of at least one application communication flow path enabled by the physical SDN network; and

providing, by the second virtual application-policy-based SDN controller, at least one application-policy-based flow rule to a second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the second application communication flow path through the physical SDN network, wherein the at least one application-policy-based flow rule causes the second subset of the plurality of physical networking devices to transmit the second application communications such that the second application communications satisfy at least one network property.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing, by the first virtual application-policy-based SDN controller, the at least one application flow rule through a physical SDN controller to each of the first subset of the plurality of physical networking devices that are included in the first application communication flow path.