Overlay network billing

• US 10,523,450 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hill, Peter John, McArthur, David Allen, Mantri, Sushant Ajit, Chudasma, Amitkumar, Banatt, Michael Thomas, Worley, Dale Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Cattungal, Ajay
• Application Number:
  US15/908,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20190268171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1425 involving dedicated fields in the data packet for billing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1435 volume-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• 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: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/62 based on trigger specification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Operations include determining billing for data being transmitted out of an Autonomous System (AS). An internal node in the AS determines billing for a packet transmitted out of the AS based at least on an egress path of the packet. The packet is received at the internal node in the AS via a particular overlay network of a plurality of overlay networks. Each overlay network may be associated with a corresponding tenant of a set of tenants. The internal node selects an egress path of the packet based on one or more characteristics of the packet. The egress path and the overlay network are mapped directly or indirectly to a billing counter. The billing counter is incremented based on (a) the transmission of the packet on the overlay network to the egress gateway and (b) transmission of the packet out of the AS on the selected egress path.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes performance of operations comprising:

receiving, by an internal node in an Autonomous System (AS) on a particular overlay network of a plurality of overlay networks associated with a respective plurality of tenants, a packet destined for an Internet address external to the AS;

based on the Internet address and the particular overlay network;

determining, by the internal node, an egress path to transmit the packet toward the Internet address;

mapping the egress path and the particular overlay network to a billing counter of a plurality of billing counters;

incrementing the billing counter in relation to transmission of the packet on the egress path; and

transmitting the packet, by the internal node via the overlay network, toward an egress gateway of the AS on the egress path.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein mapping the egress path and the particular overlay network to the billing counter comprises:

mapping the egress path to a billing classification tag; and

mapping the billing classification tag and the particular overlay network to the billing counter.

3. The medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to receiving the packet;

storing information mapping a plurality of billing classification tags and overlay networks to a plurality of billing counters.

4. The medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to receiving the packet;

storing information mapping each billing classification tag, of a plurality of billing classification tags, to at least one egress path.

5. The medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to receiving the packet;

storing information mapping each billing counter, of a plurality of billing counters, to at least one overlay network and billing classification tag combination.

6. The medium of claim 2, wherein the billing classification tag corresponds to a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) community tag.

7. The medium of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, from a logical peer outside of the AS, routing information comprising the egress path.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the particular overlay network and the billing counter correspond to a same tenant in a multi-tenant environment.

9. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by a second node in an Autonomous System (AS) on second overlay network of the plurality of overlay networks associated with the respective plurality of tenants, a second packet destined for a second Internet address external to the AS;

based on the second Internet address and the second overlay network;

determining, by the AS, a second egress path to transmit the second packet toward the second Internet address;

mapping the second egress path and the second overlay network to a billing classification tag;

determining whether an existing billing counter corresponds to the billing classification tag;

responsive to determining that no existing billing counter corresponds to the billing classification tag, generating a new billing counter corresponding to the billing classification tag;

incrementing the new billing counter in relation to the transmission of the second packet on the second egress path; and

transmitting the second packet on the second egress path.

10. The medium of claim 1, wherein mapping the egress path and the particular overlay network to the billing counter comprises:

determining an encryption type associated with the egress path and mapping the encryption type and the particular overlay network to the billing counter.

11. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

for each particular billing counter of a set of billing counters (a) associated with a same tenant in the plurality of tenants and (b) maintained by a plurality of nodes in the AS;

computing a subtotal corresponding to the particular billing counter based on a counter value associated with the billing counter, and a rate associated with the billing counter; and

adding the subtotals for the set of billing counters to determine a total charge for the tenant.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein computing and adding the subtotals is performed by a tabulation component in the AS.

13. The medium of claim 1, wherein the internal node is a redirector in the AS.

14. The medium of claim 1, wherein the egress path identifies at least one of:

a customer router, an Internet backbone router, and a network service provider router.

15. The medium of claim 1, wherein the egress path comprises a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection.

16. The medium of claim 1, wherein the billing counter is incremented based on a quality of service associated with the egress path.

17. The medium of claim 1, wherein the billing counter is incremented based on a number of bytes comprised in the packet.

18. The medium of claim 1, wherein:

mapping the egress path and the particular overlay network to the billing counter comprises;

receiving, by an egress gateway in the AS from a logical peer outside of the AS, routing information comprising the egress path,

mapping the egress path and the particular overlay network to a first billing classification tag,

determining an encryption type associated with the egress path, and

mapping the first billing classification tag, the encryption type, and the particular overlay network to the billing counter;

the operations further comprise;

receiving, by a second node in an Autonomous System (AS) on second overlay network of the plurality of overlay networks associated with the respective plurality of tenants, a second packet destined for a second Internet address external to the AS;

based on the second Internet address and the second overlay network;

determining, by the AS, a second egress path to transmit the second packet toward the second Internet address,

mapping the second egress path and the second overlay network to a second billing classification tag,

determining whether an existing billing counter corresponds to the second billing classification tag,

responsive to determining that no existing billing counter corresponds to the second billing classification tag, generating a new billing counter corresponding to the second billing classification tag,

incrementing the new billing counter in relation to the transmission of the second packet on the second egress path,

transmitting the second packet on the second egress path;

for each particular billing counter of a set of billing counters (a) associated with a same tenant in the plurality of tenants and (b) maintained by a plurality of nodes in the AS;

computing, by a tabulation component in the AS, a subtotal corresponding to the particular billing counter based on a counter value associated with the billing counter, and a rate associated with the billing counter;

adding, by the tabulation component in the AS, the subtotals for the set of billing counters to determine a total charge for the tenant;

prior to receiving the packet;

storing information mapping a plurality of billing classification tags and overlay networks to a plurality of billing counters, and

storing information mapping each billing classification tag, of a plurality of billing classification tags, to at least one egress path;

the particular overlay network and the billing counter correspond to a same tenant in a multi-tenant environment;

the first billing classification tag corresponds to a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) community tag;

the internal node is a redirector in the AS;

the egress path identifies at least one of;

a customer router, an Internet backbone router, a network service provider router, and a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection; and

the billing counter is incremented based at least one of;

on a quality of service associated with the egress path and a number of bytes comprised in the packet.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, by an internal node in an Autonomous System (AS) on a particular overlay network of a plurality of overlay networks associated with a respective plurality of tenants, a packet destined for an Internet address external to the AS;

based on the Internet address and the particular overlay network;

determining, by the internal node, an egress path to transmit the packet toward the Internet address;

mapping the egress path and the particular overlay network to a billing counter of a plurality of billing counters;

incrementing the billing counter in relation to transmission of the packet on the egress path; and

transmitting the packet, by the internal node via the overlay network, toward an egress gateway of the AS on the egress path;

wherein the method is performed by at least one device including a hardware processor.

20. A system comprising:

at least one device including a hardware processor;

the system configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by an internal node in an Autonomous System (AS) on a particular overlay network of a plurality of overlay networks associated with a respective plurality of tenants, a packet destined for an Internet address external to the AS;

based on the Internet address and the particular overlay network;

determining, by the internal node, an egress path to transmit the packet toward the Internet address;

mapping the egress path and the particular overlay network to a billing counter of a plurality of billing counters;

incrementing the billing counter in relation to transmission of the packet on the egress path; and

transmitting the packet, by the internal node via the overlay network, toward an egress gateway of the AS on the egress path.