Method and apparatus for a responsive software defined network

• US 10,505,870 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2016
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Shaw, Venson, Dowlatkhah, Sangar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chea, Philip J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US15/344,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• 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 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• 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

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method including determining a plurality of service functions required to facilitate a service to a communication device via a network, determining a plurality of network data path routings to perform the plurality of service functions, selecting a set of service functions of the plurality of service functions according to a characteristic of the plurality of network data path routings to perform the set of service functions of the plurality of service functions, and instantiating a set of virtual network functions into the network at a network location having a closer network proximity to a network connection to the communication device than to a control function of the network that facilitates communications with the communication device via the network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

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

receiving a first communication from a management gateway coupled to a network facilitating communications with a first communication device;

determining, according to the first communication from the management gateway, whether a control function that facilitates the communications with the first communication device comprises a network protocol;

identifying a plurality of service functions required to facilitate a first service to the first communication device via the network, wherein the identifying the plurality of service functions required comprises;

transmitting a query to service layer equipment to identify the plurality of service functions to facilitate the first service to the first communication device via the network, wherein the service layer equipment comprises a third-party server; and

receiving, from the service layer equipment, information associated with the plurality of service functions responsive to the query, wherein the third-party server is accessed via an application programming interface, and wherein the plurality of service functions are further determined according to the first communication;

determining a plurality of network data path routings to perform the plurality of service functions;

selecting a set of service functions of the plurality of service functions according to a characteristic of the plurality of network data path routings;

generating a first set of virtual network functions for the set of service functions of the plurality of service functions;

instantiating the first set of virtual network functions into the network at a first network location having a first closer network proximity to a first network connection to the first communication device than to a first control function of the network that facilitates communications with the first communication device via the network;

receiving a second communication from a first virtual network function of the first set of virtual network functions that are instantiated;

detecting, according to the first communication, a level of network resource provided by the first virtual network function to facilitate the first service; and

transmitting a second communication to the first virtual network function of the first set of virtual network functions to adjust the level of the network resource responsive to the level of the network resource being detected.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of service functions are based, in part, upon interactions between the first communication device and a network portal.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first set of virtual network functions is instantiated via a software defined controller.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise configuring the first set of virtual network functions to cooperatively facilitate the first service.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the plurality of network data path routings to perform the set of service functions of the plurality of service functions comprises a total network distance of the plurality of network data path routings.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the plurality of network data path routings to perform the set of service functions of the plurality of service functions comprises a quality of service achievable via the plurality of network data path routings.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the plurality of network data path routings to perform the set of service functions of the plurality of service functions comprises a security level achievable via the plurality of network data path routings.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the plurality of network data path routings to perform the set of service functions of the plurality of service functions comprises a data latency achievable via the plurality of network data path routings.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the plurality of network data path routings to perform the set of service functions of the plurality of service functions comprises an accessibility of data utilized in the first service via the plurality of network data path routings.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the network resource comprises a radio access network resource.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise instantiating into the network a second set of virtual network functions for facilitating a second service to a second communication device, wherein the second set of virtual network functions is instantiated at a second network location having a second closer network proximity to a second network connection of the network to the second communication device than to a second control function of the network that facilitates communications with the second communication device via the network.

12. A software defined network manager, 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 first communication from a management gateway coupled to a network facilitating communications with a first communication device;

determining, according to the first communication from the management gateway, whether a control function that facilitates the communications with the first communication device comprises a network protocol;

identifying a plurality of service functions required to facilitate a first service to a first communication device via a network, wherein the identifying the plurality of service functions required comprises;

transmitting a query to service layer equipment to identify the plurality of service functions to facilitate the first service to the first communication device via the network, wherein the service layer equipment comprises a third-party server; and

receiving, from the service layer equipment, information associated with the plurality of service functions responsive to the query, wherein the third-party server is accessed via an application programming interface, and wherein the plurality of service functions are further determined according to the first communication;

determining a plurality of network data path routings to perform the plurality of service functions;

selecting a set of service functions of the plurality of service functions according to a characteristic of the plurality of network data path routings;

instantiating a first set of virtual network functions into the network at a first network location having a first closer network proximity to a first network connection to the first communication device than to a first control function of the network that facilitates communications with the first communication device via the network;

detecting a level of network resource to facilitate the first service provided by a first virtual network function of the first set of virtual network functions that are instantiated; and

transmitting a first communication to the first virtual network function of the first set of virtual network functions to adjust the level of the network resource responsive to the level of the network resource being detected.

13. The software defined network manager of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise generating the first set of virtual network functions from the set of service functions of the plurality of service functions.

14. The software defined network manager of claim 12, wherein the plurality of service functions are based, in part, upon interactions between the first communication device and a network portal.

15. The software defined network manager of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise instantiating into the network a second set of virtual network functions for facilitating a second service to a second communication device, wherein the second set of virtual network functions is instantiated at a second network location having a second closer network proximity to a second network connection to the second communication device than to a second control function of the network that facilitates communications with the second communication device via the network.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a first communication from a management gateway coupled to a network facilitating communications with a first communication device;

determining, by the procession system, according to the first communication from the management gateway, whether a control function that facilitates the communications with the first communication device comprises a network protocol;

identifying, by a processing system including a processor, a plurality of service functions required to facilitate a first service to the first communication device via the network, wherein the identifying the plurality of service functions required comprises;

transmitting, by the processing system, a query to service layer equipment to identify the plurality of service functions to facilitate the service to the first communication device via the network, wherein the service layer equipment comprises a third-party server; and

receiving, by the processing system, from the service layer equipment, information associated with the plurality of service functions responsive to the query, wherein the third-party server is accessed via an application programming interface, and wherein the plurality of service functions are further determined according to the first communication;

determining, by the processing system, a plurality of network data path routings to perform the plurality of service functions;

selecting, by the processing system, a set of service functions of the plurality of service functions according to a characteristic of the plurality of network data path routings; and

instantiating, by the processing system, a set of virtual network functions into the network at a network location having a closer network proximity to a network connection to the first communication device than to the control function of the network that facilitates communications with the first communication device via the network;

detecting, by the processing system, a level of network resource to facilitate the first service provided by a virtual network function of the set of virtual network functions that are instantiated; and

transmitting, by the processing system, a second communication to the virtual network function of the set of virtual network functions to adjust the level of the network resource responsive to the level of the network resource being detected.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

configuring the set of virtual network functions to cooperatively facilitate the first service.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the set of virtual network functions is instantiated via a software defined controller.