Cross-Stratum Optimization Protocol

• US 20120054347A1
• Filed: 08/24/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Young, Xia, Yangsong
• Granted Patent: US 9,184,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

An apparatus comprising an application cross-stratum optimization (CSO) gateway (ACG) coupled to an application layer that handles a plurality of servers, a network CSO gateway (NCG) coupled to a network layer that handles a plurality of network nodes and configured to communicate with the ACG using a CSO protocol (CSOP), and a CSO interface established between the ACG and the NCG that enables the exchange of a plurality of CSOP messages to allow joint application-network resource allocation, provisioning, and optimization. Also disclosed is a network apparatus implemented method comprising sending a user profile from a user plane to an application plane, sending an application profile from the application plane to a network plane via a CSO interface between an ACG and a NCG, and sending network capability information from the network plane to the application plane via the CSO interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an application cross-stratum optimization (CSO) gateway (ACG) coupled to an application layer that handles a plurality of servers;

a network CSO gateway (NCG) coupled to a network layer that handles a plurality of network nodes and configured to communicate with the ACG using a CSO protocol (CSOP); and

a CSO interface established between the ACG and the NCG that enables the exchange of a plurality of CSOP messages to allow joint application-network resource allocation, provisioning, and optimization.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSOP provides means to guarantee exchanging necessary information to achieve CSO while preventing the sharing of private or secured information that is not authorized to other entities, networks, or layers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSOP messages comprise a Request message that is used from the ACG to the NCG to request a path setup, a path estimation with or without actual reservation/allocation commitment, or a virtual network topology.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the CSOP messages comprise a Reply message that is used from the NCG to the ACG in reply to the Request message.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSOP messages comprise a Release message that is used from the ACG to the NCG to request the release of an existing path.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the CSOP messages comprise a release configure (ReleaseConf) message that is used from the NCG to the ACG in reply to the Release message to confirm the release of the existing path.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSOP messages comprise a Notify message that is used from the ACG to the NCG or from the NCG to the ACG to notify of an occurred event.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSOP messages comprise a Notify message that is used from the NCG to the ACG to monitor an existing transport service.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSOP messages comprise a CSOP error (CSOPErr) message that is used to indicate a protocol error condition associated with CSOP.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSOP messages comprise an Initialize message that is used to initiate a CSOP session with an authentication procedure between the ACG and the NCG.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSOP messages comprise a keep alive (KeepAlive) message that is used to maintain a CSOP session.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CSOP messages comprise a CSOP session (CLOSE) message that is used to terminate a CSOP session.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of ACGs each corresponding to a respective data center or a respective cloud computing service.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of NCGs each corresponding to a respective carrier or service provider network domain.

15. A network component comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first cross-stratum optimization (CSO) protocol (CSOP) message via a CSO interface established between an application plane and a network plane; and

a plane controller configured to enable CSO between the application plane and the network plane by processing the first CSOP message to allocate, provision, or optimize joint application-network resource; and

a transmitter configured to send a second CSOP message via the CSO interface in response to the first CSOP message or for CSO purpose.

16. The network component of claim 15, wherein the first CSOP message and the second CSOP message comprise a CSOP message header with one or more objects, and wherein the CSOP message header comprises a version field, a message type field, and a message length field.

17. The network component of claim 16, wherein the message type field is set to 1 to indicate an Initialize message type, 2 to indicate a keep alive (KeepAlive) message type, 3 to indicate a Request message type, 4 to indicate a Reply message type, 5 to indicate a Release message type, 6 to indicate a Release Configure (ReleaseConf) message, 7 to indicate a Notify message, 8 to indicate a CSOP error (CSOPErr) message, or 9 to indicate a CSOP session (CLOSE) message.

18. The network component of claim 16, wherein the objects comprise an authentication profile object at the end of the objects in the first or second CSOP message, and wherein the authentication profile object comprises an authentication object class field, a length field, a sub-type field, a Security Parameter Index (SPI) field, and a token.

19. The network component of claim 16, wherein the objects comprise a service profile object that comprises a service type (S) field, a plurality of flags, and a service request identifier (ID) number, and wherein the S field is set to 0 to indicate a Path Reservation, 1 to indicate a Path Modification, 2 to indicate a Path Estimation, or 3 to indicate a virtual network topology (VNT) Request.

20. The network component of claim 16, wherein the objects comprise a performance profile object that comprises a maximum one-way delay bound field, a maximum roundtrip delay bound field, a maximum delay jitter bound field, and a packet loss rate field.

21. The network component of claim 16, wherein the objects comprise a bandwidth profile object that comprises a transport layer field, a plurality of flags, an asymmetric bandwidth indicator (A) bit, a downstream of bi-directional bandwidth field, and an upstream bandwidth field.

22. The network component of claim 16, wherein the objects comprise a connectivity mode profile object that comprises a connectivity (C) field, a plurality of flags, and a directionality (D) bit, and wherein the C field is set to 0 to indicate a point-to-point (P-P) connectivity, 1 to indicate a point-to-multipoint (P-MP) connectivity, 2 to indicate multipoint-to-multipoint (MP-MP) connectivity, or 3 to indicate any-cast connectivity for multi-destination.

23. The network component of claim 16, wherein the objects comprise a location profile object that comprises a location profile (L) field, a number of sources field, a number of destinations field, a version (V) of Internet Protocol (IP) field, a plurality of flags, and one or more optional Type/Length/Values (TLVs), and wherein the L field is set to 0 to indicate a point-to-point (P-P) connectivity, 1 to indicate a point-to-multipoint (P-MP) connectivity, 2 to indicate a multipoint-to-point (MP-P) connectivity, 3 to indicate multipoint-to-multipoint (MP-MP) connectivity, or 4 to indicate any-cast connectivity for multi-destination.

24. The network component of claim 23, wherein the L field is set to 0, the V field is set to 0, and an optional TLV comprises a source IP version 4 (IPv4) address field and a destination IPv4 address.

25. The network component of claim 23, wherein the L field is set to 1, the V field is set to 0, and an optional TLV comprises a source IP version 4 (IPv4) address field and a plurality of destination IPv4 address fields that each indicates an IPv4 address of one of a number of destinations that is indicated in the number of destinations fields.

26. The network component of claim 16, wherein the objects comprise a protection profile object that comprises a protection level (P) field, and a plurality of flags including a shared list link group (SRLG) diversity (S) bit, a node diversity (N) bit, and a link diversity (L) bit, and one or more optional Type/Length/Values (TLVs), and wherein the P field is set to 0 to indicate No Protection, 1 to indicate 1+1 protection, or 2 to indicate Shared Protection.

27. The network component of claim 26, wherein an optional TLV comprises a delay differential field, a hop count differential field, and a distance differential field.

28. The network component of claim 16, wherein the objects comprise a path object that comprises a service type (S) field, a plurality of flags including a protection (P) bit, a service request identifier (ID) number, and at least one optional Type/Length/Value (TLV), and wherein the S field is set to 0 to indicate a Path Reservation, 1 to indicate a Path Modification, or 2 to indicate a Path Estimation.

29. The network component of claim 28, wherein an optional TLV comprises a path identifier, an application source Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) address, an application source IPv4 address, a network source IPv4 address, an application destination IPv4 address, a network source IPv4 address, and a reserved bandwidth.

30. The network component of claim 28, wherein an optional TLV comprises a path identifier, an application source Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) address, an application source IPv4 address, a network source IPv4 address, an application destination IPv4 address, a network source IPv4 address, and a modified bandwidth.

31. The network component of claim 28, wherein an optional TLV comprises a path identifier, an application source Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) address, an application source IPv4 address, a network source IPv4 address, an application destination IPv4 address, a network source IPv4 address, and an estimated bandwidth.

32. The network component of claim 16, wherein the objects comprise a virtual network topology (VNT) object that comprises a location profile (L) field, a number of sources field, a number of destinations field, a version (V) of Internet Protocol (IP), a plurality of flags, a service request identifier (ID) number, and one of more optional Type/Length/Values (TLVs), and wherein the L field is set to 0 to indicate a point-to-point (P-P) connectivity, 1 to indicate a point-to-multipoint (P-MP) connectivity, 2 to indicate a multipoint-to-point (MP-P) connectivity, 3 to indicate multipoint-to-multipoint (MP-MP) connectivity, or 4 to indicate any-cast connectivity for multi-destination.

33. The network component of claim 32, wherein the L field is set to 0, the V field is set to 0, and an optional TLV comprises an application source IP version 4 (IPv4) address field, a network source IPv4 address field, an application destination IPv4 address field, a network source IPv4 address field, and an available bandwidth field.

34. The network component of claim 32, wherein the L field is set to 1, the V field is set to 0, and an optional TLV comprises a first application source IPv4 address field, a first network source IPv4 address field, a first application destination IPv4 address field, a first network source IPv4 address field, a first available bandwidth field, a second application source IPv4 address field, a second network source IPv4 address field, a second application destination IPv4 address field, a second network source IPv4 address field, and a second available bandwidth field.

35. A network apparatus implemented method comprising:

sending a user profile from a user plane to an application plane;

sending an application profile from the application plane to a network plane via a cross-stratum optimization (CSO) interface between an application CSO gateway (ACG) and a network CSO gateway (NCG); and

sending network capability information from the network plane to the application plane via the CSO interface.

36. The network apparatus implemented method of claim 35 further comprising sending the user profile with the application profile from the application plane to the network plane.

37. The network apparatus implemented method of claim 35, wherein the user profile defines characteristics of a user and comprises at least one of a user identifier (ID), a user device ID, user codec information if applicable, user preference if available, and user capability.

38. The network apparatus implemented method of claim 35, wherein the application profile comprises at least one of a security profile, a location profile, a Quality of Service (QoS) profile, a connectivity profile, a directionality profile, a bandwidth profile, a duration of service profile, and a restoration profile.

39. The network apparatus implemented method of claim 35, wherein the network profile comprises at least one of bandwidth capability, Quality of Service (QoS) and service level agreement (SLA), configurability, and adaptability.