Time-based network operation profiles in a software-defined network

• US 10,560,390 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated
• Inventors: Gammel, Dennis, Smith, Rhett
• Primary Examiner(s): Nowlin, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/911,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20190273691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/10 Power transmission or distribution systems management focussing at grid-level, e.g. load flow analysis, node profile computation, meshed network optimisation, active network management or spinning reserve management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/40 Synchronising a generator for connection to a network or to another generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0658 Clock or time synchronisation among packet nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0667 Bidirectional timestamps, e.g. NTP or PTP for compensation of clock drift and for compensation of propagation delays arrangements for monitoring round trip delays in packet switching networks H04L43/0864
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

A software-defined network controller (SDN controller) defines a first network flow to be selectively implemented by a networking device according to a first network operation profile. The SDN controller defines a second network flow to be selectively implemented by the networking device according to a second network operation profile. The first and second network operation profiles are stored within a memory of the networking device to be selectively implemented during different time periods based on a precision time input via a precision time input port on the networking device. In some embodiments, the networking device may detect a network event and implement a network operation profile for a preset time period based on the precision time input.

Claims

1. A software-defined networking device, comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of communication ports for network communications;

a precision time input port to receive a precision time signal;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium to store a plurality of network operation profiles,

wherein each of the plurality of network operation profiles is implementable by the processor to control network behavior via the plurality of communication ports, and

wherein one of the network operation profiles comprises a time-based network operation profile defined for implementation during a precision time window, wherein the precision time window of the time-based network operation profile is defined to start in response to an identified deviant network event and end at a time based on the received precision time signal; and

a profile selection module to implement, via the processor, the time-based network operation profile during the precision time window based on the occurrence of the deviant network event and the received precision time signal, wherein the time-based network operation profile enables, during the precision time window, a communication protocol via at least one of the plurality of communication ports that was previously disabled.

2. The software-defined networking device of claim 1, wherein the precision time window of the time-based network operation profile has an end time defined as one of an absolute time, and a time period following the deviant network event.

3. The software-defined networking device of claim 1, wherein the precision time input port is a communication port to receive a signal using one of network time protocol (NTP) and precision time protocol (PTP).

4. The software-defined networking device of claim 1, wherein the time-based network operation profile is defined in terms of changes to another of the plurality of network operation profiles.

5. The software-defined networking device of claim 1, further comprising a controller port to receive communications from a software-defined network (SDN) controller, wherein each of the plurality of network operation profiles, including the time-based network operation profile, is defined by the SDN controller.

6. The software-defined networking device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication ports includes one or more of:

a DB-25 port, an RS-485 port, an RS-232 port, an Ethernet port, an SFP port, a SONET port, a COM port, an EtherCAT port, a Fiber Channel port, a serial port, and a parallel port.

7. The software-defined networking device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of network operation profiles defines network behavior via the plurality of communication ports as the network behavior pertains to one or more of:

port forwarding, MAC address handling, network address translation, protocol enablement and disablement, virtual local area network creation, routing, port access control, virtual private network management, and quality of service management.

8. A method of operating a software-defined network (SDN), comprising:

defining, via an SDN, a first network flow to be implemented by a networking device connected as part of an SDN, with a first communication protocol enabled and a second communication protocol disabled;

defining, via the SDN controller, a second, time-based network flow to be implemented by the networking device during a precision time window with the first communication protocol enabled and the second communication protocol enabled, wherein the precision time window is defined in terms of a start time and an end time;

determining a time based on a received precision time input signal;

implementing, by the networking device, the first network flow in response to the determined time not being within the start time and the end time of the precision time window; and

implementing, by the networking device, the second, time-based network flow in response to the determined time being within the start time and the end time of the precision time window.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

disconnecting the SDN controller from the networking device before implementing the second, time-based network flow in response to the determination that the time is within the start time and the end time of the precision time window.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein implementing the second, time-based network flow enables communication between two devices that was previously prevented per the first network flow.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein implementing the second, time-based network flow enables a communication protocol on the SDN that was previously disabled per the first network flow.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the second, time-based network flow is defined in terms of change to the first network flow.

13. A method of operating a software-defined network (SDN), comprising:

defining, via an SDN controller, a first network flow to be implemented by a networking device connected as part of an SDN with a first communication protocol enabled and a second communication protocol disabled;

defining, via the SDN controller, a second, time-based network flow to be implemented by the networking device during a precision time window with the first communication protocol enabled and the second communication protocol enabled,

wherein a start time of the precision time window corresponds to a deviant network event, and

wherein the second, time-based network flow comprises a time-based flow rule;

implementing the second, time-based network flow in response to a detection of the deviant network event; and

implementing the time-based flow rule of the second, time-based network flow based on a received precision time input signal.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

disconnecting the SDN controller from the networking device before implementing the second, time-based network flow.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the deviant network event is defined as a communication from a specific first device on the SDN to a specific second device on the SDN.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein prevision time window comprises an end time defined relative to the start time.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising reverting to implementation of the first network flow after the end time.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the time-based flow rule is defined with respect to an established network baseline flow.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the established network baseline flow comprises previously measured network traffic flow during a corresponding time window.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the established network baseline flow comprises expected network traffic flow based on networking device specifications.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the established network baseline flow comprises expected network traffic flow based on communication protocol specifications.