VPN service management system and VPN service manager and VPN service agent comprising same

• US 20030079043A1
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Abe, Hiroaki, Chang, Ta-Wei, Arai, Toshimasa, Onodera, Yasuko
• Granted Patent: US 7,631,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• 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 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management

Abstract

A VPN service management system enabling a customer to rapidly and easily change a VPN service condition, that is, a VPN service management system for managing a VPN service for a communication network provided with a customer network and a provider network and having a VPN service manager for managing a VPN service for a provider network and a VPN service agent for managing a VPN service for a customer network. The VPN service manager changes the VPN service condition in real time in accordance with an operation status of the customer network in cooperation with the VPN service agent.

Claims

1. A VPN service management system for managing a VPN service for a communication network provided with a customer network for servicing customers and a provider network constructed by a provider for providing the VPN service to the customers and connected to the customer network, comprising:

a VPN service manager for managing said VPN service for said provider network; and

a VPN service agent for managing said VPN service for said customer network,

said VPN service manager changing a VPN service condition of said VPN service to be provided in real time in accordance with an operation status of said customer network under the management of the VPN service agent in cooperation with said VPN service agent.

2. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1,

said system further comprising a provider network management system cooperating with said VPN service manager on said provider side,

said provider network management system managing the provider network including also a customer edge arranged in said customer network for connection with said provider network.

3. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 2,

said system further comprising a customer network management system cooperating with said VPN service agent and managing said customer network on said customer side,

the customer network management system monitoring said customer edge and communicating with said provider network side.

4. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said VPN service manager provides a service menu concerning the VPN service as a VPN service condition table to said VPN service agent,

when there is a request for change of a VPN service condition on said customer side, the VPN service agent transmits the request for change to the VPN service manager via said service menu, and

the VPN service manager reflects the request for change in said provider network via said provider network management system.

5. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said VPN service manager is comprised of:

a VPN service order control means for receiving an order when an order for changing the VPN service conditions is generated from a VPN service agent and outputting the changed VPN service conditions concerned in that order,

a VPN service condition retrieval means for retrieving the present VPN service conditions given to the concerned customer network from the VPN service condition table when that order is generated,

a VPN service condition decision means for deciding whether or not the range by which the changed VPN service conditions exceed the present VPN service conditions is within an allowable range,

a VPN service condition setting means for resetting the present VPN service conditions to the changed VPN service conditions when the result of said decision is “

POSSIBLE”

, and

a customer edge control means for controlling the customer edge based on the reset VPN service-conditions.

6. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said VPN service agent is comprised of:

a VPN service condition retrieval means for retrieving a current VPN service condition given to the customer network from the VPN service condition table when an order for changing the VPN service conditions is generated from a customer; and

a VPN service order issuing means for issuing the order to the VPN service manager based on the retrieved VPN service condition.

7. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the VPN service manager is provided with a customer edge control means for controlling a customer edge based on the VPN service condition reset by the VPN service manager upon receipt of said order when said VPN service manager controls the customer edge through said VPN service agent.

8. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said customer network management system monitors the operation status of said customer network and changes of said VPN service condition by full automation without interposition of an operator through cooperation of said VPN service agent and both said VPN service manager and said provider network management system in accordance with the monitoring result.

9. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 8, wherein

said VPN service agent has a parameter table for pre-setting and holding changed condition data to be referred to when changing said VPN service condition, and

said customer network management system transmits the changed VPN service condition determined by referring to said parameter table to said VPN service manager when deciding that said VPN service condition should be changed by said monitoring result.

10. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said system provides in said VPN service agent an operation status change notifying means for notifying a decision to an operation manager of said customer network when said customer network management system monitors the operation status of said customer network and decides that said VPN service condition should be changed by the monitoring result and

the VPN service agent semi-automatically changes said VPN service condition by cooperation of said VPN service manager and said provider network management system when obtaining a reply of permission with respect to said notification.

11. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 10, wherein

said VPN service agent has a parameter table for pre-setting and holding changed condition data to be referred to when changing said VPN service condition and

inputs the changed VPN service condition determined by referring to said parameter table to said operation status change notifying means when said customer network management system judges by said monitoring result that said VPN service condition should be changed.

12. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 10, wherein,

when said VPN service agent and said customer network management system cooperate in a server/client mode, a remote client terminal attached to said operation manager is introduced as another one of the clients, and

said operation status change notifying mean is realized by cooperation of said VPN service agent and said remote client terminal in the server/client mode.

13. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said VPN service agent and said remote client terminal are connected by a leased line or in-band.

14. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 3,

said system providing at said VPN service manager side an operation status change confirming means for requesting confirmation at a remote operation manager of a customer upon receipt of a request when said customer network management system monitors the operation status of said customer network and automatically request a change of said VPN service condition to said VPN service manager in accordance with the monitoring result and

said VPN service manager changes said VPN service condition when obtaining a reply of permission with respect to said notification.

15. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said operation status change confirming means is realized by said VPN service manager and a mobile terminal wirelessly connected to said provider network.

16. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 14, wherein

said VPN service agent has a parameter table for pre-setting and holding changed condition data to be referred to when changing said VPN service condition, and

said customer network management system transmits the changed VPN service condition determined by referring to said parameter table to said VPN service manager when judging that said VPN service condition should be changed according to said monitoring result.

17. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 3, further having an in-band means for using the VPN per se, as in-band, constructed by a contract between said provider and said customer in-band for said cooperation between said VPN service manager and said VPN service agent.

18. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 17, wherein in-band means are formed at said customer edge and a provider edge arranged inside said provider network for connection with the customer edge.

19. A VPN service manager comprising part of a VPN service management system for managing a VPN service for a communication network provided with a customer network servicing customers and a provider network constructed by a provider for providing the VPN service to the customers and connected to the customer network,

said VPN service manager is operative to manage the VPN service for the provider network and

change a VPN service condition of the VPN service to be provided by the VPN service management system in real time in accordance with the operation status of the customer network under the management of a VPN service agent managing the VPN service for the customer network in cooperation with the VPN service agent.

20. A VPN service manager as set forth in claim 19, provided with:

a VPN service order control means for receiving an order for changing a VPN service condition when the order is generated from the VPN service agent and outputting the changed VPN service condition related to that order,

a VPN service condition retrieval means for retrieving a present VPN service condition given to the concerned customer network from the VPN service condition table when that order is generated,

a VPN service condition decision means for deciding whether or not a range by which the changed VPN service condition exceeds the present VPN service condition is within an allowable range,

a VPN service condition setting means for resetting the present VPN service condition to the changed VPN service condition when the result of the decision is “

POSSIBLE”

, and

a customer edge control means for controlling a customer edge based on the reset VPN service condition.

21. A VPN service manager as set forth in claim 19, further

having an operation status change notifying means for notifying an operation manager of the customer network of a request for change of a VPN service condition from the customer network management system automatically in accordance with a monitoring result when a customer network management system monitors the operation status of the customer network and

changing the VPN service condition when obtaining a reply of permission with respect to the notification.

22. A VPN service agent comprising part of a VPN service management system for managing a VPN service for a communication network provided with a customer network servicing customers and a provider network constructed by a provider for providing the VPN service to the customers and connected to the customer network,

said VPN service agent is operative to manage the VPN service for the customer network and

change a VPN service condition of the VPN service to be provided by the VPN service management system in real time in accordance with the operation status of the customer network under management in cooperation with a VPN service manager managing a VPN service for a provider network.

23. A VPN service agent as set forth in claim 22, wherein

the agent has a customer network management system for managing the customer network and

this customer network management system monitors a customer edge and communicates with the provider network side.

24. A VPN service agent as set forth in claim 22, which

is provided with a service menu concerning the VPN service from the VPN service manager as a VPN service condition table and

transmits a request for change via the service menu to the VPN service manager when a request for change of a VPN service condition is generated at the customer side.

25. A VPN service agent as set forth in claim 22, further provided with:

a VPN service condition retrieval means for retrieving a current VPN service condition given to the concerned customer network from the VPN service condition table when an order for changing a VPN service condition is generated from the customer and

a VPN service order issuing means for issuing an order to the VPN service manager based on the retrieved VPN service condition.

26. A VPN service agent as set forth in claim 23, wherein

the agent has a parameter table for pre-setting and holding changed condition data to be referred to when changing a VPN service condition and

the customer network management system transmits the changed VPN service condition determined by referring to the parameter table to the VPN service manager when deciding that the VPN service condition should be changed by the monitoring result.

27. A VPN service agent as set forth in claim 23, wherein

the agent has an operation status change notifying means for notifying a decision to an operation manager of the customer network when the customer network management system monitors the operation status of the customer network and decides that a VPN service condition should be changed by the monitoring result and

changes the VPN service condition by cooperation of the VPN service manager and a provider network management system when obtaining a reply of permission with respect to the notification.