Bandwidth guaranteed provisioning in network-based mobile virtual private network (VPN) services

• US 20040168088A1
• Filed: 02/04/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Paul, Sanjoy, Guo, Katherine H., Rangarajan, Sampath, Mukherjee, Sarit
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/287 Remote access server, e.g. BRAS
• 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 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

Abstract

A method and virtual private network (VPN) system for providing bandwidth guaranteed provisioning in network-based mobile VPN services. The method and system include identifying a set of VPN customers, at least one mobile access point (MAP) and at least one customer premise equipment (CPE) associated with each VPN customer, and at least one IP service gateway (IPSG) for facilitating VPN tunneling between a MAP and a CPE, wherein each MAP is geographically remote from each IPSG. A subset of IPSGs is selected to maximize total profit resulting from provisioning a subset of VPN customers on the selected IPSGs. Total profit from all the customers includes the sum of profits from each customer, where for each customer, the customer profit equals weighted revenue less cost, wherein the cost per customer includes a total tunnel bandwidth cost from the MAP to the CPE, and a cost of provisioning an IPSG node.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a set of virtual private network (VPN) customers, at least one mobile access point (MAP) and at least one customer premise equipment (CPE) associated with each VPN customer, and at least one IP service gateway (IPSG) for facilitating VPN tunneling between a MAP and a CPE, wherein each MAP is geographically remote from each IPSG; and

selecting a subset of IPSGs to maximize total profit resulting from provisioning a subset of VPN customers on the selected IPSGs, wherein said total profit from all the customers comprises the sum of profits from each customer (I), where for each customer profit (U^I) equals weighted revenue (γ

V^I) less cost (C^I), (U^I=γ

V^I−

C^I), wherein said cost per customer comprises a total tunnel bandwidth cost (C^I_C) from said MAP to said CPE, and a cost (C^I_V) of provisioning an IPSG node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein γ

represents relative weight of revenue compared to total cost for customer I.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said total tunnel bandwidth cost comprises a dynamic tunnel bandwidth cost between said MAP and said provisioned IPSG, and a static tunnel bandwidth cost between said provisioned IPSG and said CPE.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein only a single tunnel is established between said provisioned IPSG and said CPE, even during instances where traffic from multiple MAPs are going through said provisioned IPSG to reach said CPE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in an instance said provisioned IPSG sends traffic to more than one CPE, said provision cost is counted only once.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said cost per customer I is determined by

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said bandwidth cost (c^I_ij) associated with sending traffic from a MAP node i to an IPSG node j comprises the product of unit bandwidth cost (a_ij) between said MAP node i and said IPSG node j, and a sum of traffic

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said bandwidth cost (d^I_jk) associated with sending traffic from an IPSG node j to a CPE node k comprises the product of unit bandwidth cost (elk) between said IPSG node j and said CPE node k, and a total amount of traffic

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said total amount of traffic

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said total amount of traffic

11. A virtual private network (VPN) system architecture, comprising:

means for identifying a set of virtual private network (VPN) customers, at least one mobile access point (MAP) and at least one customer premise equipment (CPE) associated with each VPN customer, and at least one IP service gateway. (IPSG) for facilitating VPN tunneling between a MAP and a CPE, wherein each MAP is geographically remote from each IPSG; and

means for selecting a subset of IPSGs to maximize total profit resulting from provisioning a subset of VPN customers on the selected IPSGs, wherein said total profit from all the customers comprises the sum of profits from each customer (I), where for each customer profit (U^I) equals weighted revenue (γ

V^I) less cost (C^I), (U^I=γ

V^I−

C^I), wherein said cost per customer comprises a total tunnel bandwidth cost (C^I_C) from said MAP to said CPE, and a cost (C^I_V) of provisioning an IPSG node.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein γ

represents relative weight of revenue compared to total cost for customer I.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said total tunnel bandwidth cost comprises a dynamic tunnel bandwidth cost between said MAP and said provisioned IPSG, and a static tunnel bandwidth cost between said provisioned IPSG and said CPE.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein only a single tunnel is established between said provisioned IPSG and said CPE, even during instances where traffic from multiple MAPs are going through said provisioned IPSG to reach said CPE.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein in an instance said provisioned IPSG sends traffic to more than one CPE, said provision cost is counted only once.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said cost per customer I is determined by

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said bandwidth cost (c^I_ij) associated with sending traffic from a MAP node i to an IPSG node j comprises the product of unit bandwidth cost (a_ij) between said MAP node i and said IPSG node j, and a sum of traffic

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said bandwidth cost (d^I_jk) associated with sending traffic from an IPSG node j to a CPE node k comprises the product of unit bandwidth cost (e^I_jk) between said IPSG node j and said CPE node k, and a total amount of traffic

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said total amount of traffic

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said total amount of traffic

21. The system architecture of claim 11, wherein said MAPs provide dynamic switching and routing of data connections, while said IPSGs provide VPN services.

22. A computer readable medium for storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for optimally provisioning connectivity for network-based mobile virtual private network (VPN) services, comprising

identifying a set of virtual private network (VPN) customers, at least one mobile access point (MAP) and at least one customer premise equipment (CPE) associated with each VPN customer, and at least one IP service gateway (IPSG) for facilitating VPN tunneling between a MAP and a CPE, wherein each said MAP is geographically remote from each said IPSG;

and

selecting a subset of IPSGs to maximize total profit resulting from provisioning a subset of VPN customers on the selected IPSGs, wherein said total profit from all the customers comprises the sum of profits from each customer (I), where for each customer profit (U^I) equals weighted revenue (γ

V^I) less cost (C^I) (U^I=γ

V^I−

C^I), wherein said cost per customer comprises a total tunnel bandwidth cost (C^I_C) from said MAP to said CPE, and a cost (C^I_V) of provisioning an IPSG node.