DISTRIBUTED VIRTUAL SYSTEM TO SUPPORT MANAGED, NETWORK-BASED SERVICES

• US 20080259934A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Inventors: Alam, Naveed, Matthews, Abraham R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.53
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2876 Handling of subscriber policies group policies management H04L41/0893
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5691 Access to open networks; Ingress point selection, e.g. ISP selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• 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 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2521 Translation architectures other than single NAT servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for allocating network resources of a distributed virtual system to support managed, network-based services. According to one embodiment, a VR-based switch having multiple processing elements is configured for operation at an Internet POP. An NOS is provided on each of the processing elements. Resources of the VR-based switch are segmented between a first and second subscriber by mapping VRs assigned to the first and second subscriber onto appropriate processing elements. Then, a first and second set of customized services are configured, each including two or more of firewalling, virtual private networking, encryption, traffic shaping, routing and network address translation (NAT), to be provided by the VR-based switch. Customized services are configured by allocating appropriate service object groups to the VRs, which can be dynamically distributed by the NOS to customized processors of the processing elements to achieve desired computational support.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a virtual router (VR)-based switch configured for operation at an Internet point-of-presence (POP) of a service provider, the VR-based switch having a plurality of processing elements;

providing a network operating system (NOS) on each of the plurality of processing elements;

segmenting resources of the VR-based switch between at least a first subscriber of the service provider and a second subscriber of the service provider by;

associating a first plurality of VRs with the first subscriber;

associating a second plurality of VRs with the second subscriber;

mapping the first plurality of VRs onto a first set of one or more of the plurality of processing elements; and

mapping the second plurality of VRs onto a second set of one or more of the plurality of processing elements;

configuring a first set of customized services including a plurality of firewalling, virtual private networking, encryption, traffic shaping, routing and network address translation (NAT) to be provided by the VR-based switch on behalf of the first subscriber by allocating a first service object group within the first plurality of VRs, the first service object group including a service object corresponding to each service of the first set of customized services and wherein each service object of the first service object group can be dynamically distributed by the NOS to customized processors of the first set of one or more of the plurality of processing elements to achieve desired computational support; and

configuring a second set of customized services including a plurality of firewalling, virtual private networking, encryption, traffic shaping, routing and NAT to be provided by the VR-based switch on behalf of the second subscriber by allocating a second service object group within the second plurality of VRs, the second service object group including a service object corresponding to each service of the second set of customized services and wherein each service object of the second service object group can be dynamically distributed by the NOS to customized processors of the second set of one or more of the plurality of processing elements to achieve desired computational support.