METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED DYNAMIC NETWORK PROVISIONING

• US 20100165876A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Kalusivalingam, Vijayabhaskar Annamalai, Shukla, Amit, Vohra, Quaizar, Ayyangar, Arthi
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a virtual resource hosted by a host device, selecting a configuration template associated with the virtual resource, and providing a provisioning instruction to a virtual switch module hosted by the host device based on the configuration template. The host device is operatively coupled to a network device. The detecting is at the network device; the selecting is at the network device; and the providing is at the network device. The virtual switch module is in communication with the virtual resource. The configuration template associated with the virtual resource is selected from a library of configuration templates accessible to the network device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting at a network device a virtual resource hosted by a host device operatively coupled to the network device, the host device operatively coupled to a port of the network device;

selecting at the network device after the detecting a configuration template associated with the virtual resource from a library of configuration templates accessible to the network device; and

provisioning the port of the network device based on the configuration template associated with the virtual resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is at a first time, the method further comprising:

determining at a second time after the first time that the virtual resource is not hosted by the host device, the determining being based on an expiration of a timeout period; and

deprovisioning the port of the network device based on the configuration template associated with the virtual resource after the determining.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is at a first time, the method further comprising:

determining at a second time after the first time that the virtual resource is not hosted by the host device, the determining being based on a data set received by the network device from the host device; and

deprovisioning the port of the network device after the determining based on the configuration template associated with the virtual resource after the determining.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual resource is a first virtual resource, the method further comprising:

detecting a second virtual resource hosted by the host device;

selecting a second configuration template associated with the second virtual resource from a library of configuration templates accessible to the network device;

defining a composite configuration template based on the first configuration template and the second configuration template; and

provisioning the port of the network device such that the network device is provisioned based on the composite configuration template.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving is at a first time, the host device is a first host device, and the port is a first port the method further comprising:

determining at a second time after the first time that the virtual resource is not hosted by the first host device;

deprovisioning the first port of the network device based on the configuration template associated with the virtual resource after the determining;

detecting at a third time after the second time that the virtual resource is hosted by a second host device operatively coupled to the network device, the second host device operatively coupled to a second port of the network device;

selecting the configuration template associated with the virtual resource from the library of configuration templates accessible to the network device;

provisioning the second port of the network device based on the configuration template associated with the virtual resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein host device includes a virtual switch module in communication with the virtual resource;

the method further comprising providing a provisioning instruction based on the configuration template to the virtual switch module, the virtual switch module being configured in response to the provisioning instruction such that data packets received by the network device and associated with the virtual resource are forwarded to the virtual resource via the virtual switch module.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning is based on a first portion of the configuration template associated with the virtual resource, the method further comprising providing a provisioning instruction based on a second portion of the configuration template to the virtual switch module, the virtual switch module being configured in response to the provisioning instruction such that data packets received by the network device and associated with the virtual resource are forwarded to the virtual resource via the virtual switch module.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the detecting includes receiving from the host device a network resource identifier associated with the virtual resource; and

the selecting is based on the network resource identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting from the host device data associated with virtual resources hosted by the host device before the detecting.

10. A system, comprising:

a first network device having a port configured to be operatively coupled to a first host device; and

a second network device operatively coupled to the first network device via a switch fabric having a port configured to be operatively coupled to a second host device,

the first network device configured to receive a migration notification associated with a migration of a virtual resource, the first network device configured to provision the port of the first network device in response to the migration notification; and

the second network device configured to provision the port of the second network device in response to the migration notification.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the migration of the virtual resource is from the first host device to the second host device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the migration of the virtual resource is from the second host device to the first host device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network device is configured to send a portion of the migration notification to the second network device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the first network device is configured to provision the port of the first network device in response to the migration notification when the virtual resource is hosted by the first host device; and

the second network device is configured to provision the port of the second network device in response to the migration notification when the virtual resource is hosted by the second host device, the second virtual switch module in communication with the virtual resource.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network device is configured to deprovision the port of the first network device in response to the migration notification.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a control plane, and wherein the first network device and the second network device are operatively coupled via the control plane.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate with a communication network;

a communication interface configured to communicate with a host device;

a memory configured to store a library of configuration templates; and

a processor operatively coupled to the network interface, the communication interface, and the memory,

the processor configured to select a first configuration template from the library of configuration templates based on a first network resource identifier received from the host device,

the processor configured to provision the communication interface based on the first configuration template.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor configured to send a provisioning instruction to a virtual switch module hosted by the host device via the communication interface based on the first configuration template

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the first network resource identifier is associated with a first virtual resource hosted by the host device;

the processor is configured to deprovision the communication interface based on the first configuration template after termination of the first virtual resource on the host device.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to request from the host device over the communication interface information associated with virtual resources hosted by the host device.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to receive from the host device over the communication interface an operational status of a virtual resource hosted by the host device.