EXTENDING ROUTING RULES FROM EXTERNAL SERVICES

• US 20140280835A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: PRUSS, Richard M., Medved, Jan, McDowall, John Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,509,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/052 using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/342 between virtual entities, e.g. orchestrators, SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• 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

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed to extend routing rules from external services. A request is received to modify a specified rule in a network element of a network. The specified rule governs disposition of a network flow specific to an application. The request is received via a communications channel configured to expose an application programming interface (API) to the application. The request is interpreted at a network abstraction layer of the network element. The request is converted into a command at a service implementation layer of the network element. The command is executed to modify the specified rule in the network element, responsive to the request.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to modify a specified rule enforced by at least one network element of a software-defined networking (SDN)-enabled network, the specified rule governing disposition of a network flow specific to an application, wherein the request is received via a predefined communications channel configured to expose a predefined application programming interface (API) to the application;

interpreting the request at a network abstraction layer of the at least one network element;

converting the request into one or more commands at a service implementation layer of the at least one network element; and

executing the one or more commands by operation of one or more computer processors, to modify the specified rule enforced by the at least one network element, responsive to the request.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the API is configured to allow the application to modify one or more management and runtime aspects of the at least one network element.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the API is configured to allow the application to independently modify each individual management and runtime aspect selected from multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) tags, Layer-2 information, Layer-3 information, deep packet inspection (DPI), and routing tables.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the request is sent by the application via a software development kit (SDK) associated with the API and provided at a presentation layer associated with the at least one network element, wherein the SDK is configured to marshal the request and send the marshaled request via the predefined communications channel, wherein the method further comprises:

un-marshaling the received request prior to interpreting the request at the network abstraction layer of the at least one network element.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the application includes arbitrary, third-party code, wherein the one or more commands are specific to a platform type of the at least one network element, wherein the request is independent of the platform type of the at least one network element, wherein the predefined communications channel comprises a network-independent remote procedure call (RPC) channel.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

preventing the modified rule from affecting at least one network flow not associated with a provider of the application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the specified rule is modified by a management runtime of the at least one network element, wherein the management runtime is configured to independently modify the specified rule responsive to receiving the request from each individual application selected from:

(i) a first application executing on a first of the at least one network element;

(ii) a second application executing on a blade server disposed within a same chassis as the first network element;

(iii) a third application executing on a computer operatively connected to the first network element, and

(iv) a fourth application executing on a virtual machine (VM) operatively connected to the first network element.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the API is configured to allow the application to modify one or more management and runtime aspects of the at least one network element.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein the API is configured to allow the application to independently modify each individual management and runtime aspect selected from multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) tags, Layer-2 information, Layer-3 information, deep packet inspection (DPI), and routing tables.

18. The system of claim 3, wherein the request is sent by the application via a software development kit (SDK) associated with the API and provided at a presentation layer associated with the at least one network element, wherein the SDK is configured to marshal the request and send the marshaled request via the predefined communications channel, wherein the operation further comprises:

un-marshaling the received request prior to interpreting the request at the network abstraction layer of the at least one network element.

19. The system of claim 4, wherein the application includes arbitrary, third-party code, wherein the one or more commands are specific to a platform type of the at least one network element, wherein the request is independent of the platform type of the at least one network element, wherein the predefined communications channel comprises a network-independent remote procedure call (RPC) channel.

20. The system of claim 5, wherein the operation further comprises:

preventing the modified rule from affecting at least one network flow not associated with a provider of the application;

wherein the specified rule is modified by a management runtime of the at least one network element, wherein the management runtime is configured to independently modify the specified rule responsive to receiving the request from each individual application selected from;

(i) a first application executing on a first of the at least one network element;

(ii) a second application executing on a blade server disposed within a same chassis as the first network element;

(iii) a third application executing on a computer operatively connected to the first network element, and

(iv) a fourth application executing on a virtual machine (VM) operatively connected to the first network element.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation comprising:

receiving a request to modify a specified rule enforced by at least one network element of a software-defined networking (SDN)-enabled network, the specified rule governing disposition of a network flow specific to an application, wherein the request is received via a predefined communications channel configured to expose a predefined application programming interface (API) to the application;

interpreting the request at a network abstraction layer of the at least one network element;

converting the request into one or more commands at a service implementation layer of the at least one network element; and

executing the one or more commands by operation of one or more computer processors when executing the program, to modify the specified rule enforced by the at least one network element, responsive to the request.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the API is configured to allow the application to modify one or more management and runtime aspects of the at least one network element.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the API is configured to allow the application to independently modify each individual management and runtime aspect selected from multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) tags, Layer-2 information, Layer-3 information, deep packet inspection (DPI), and routing tables.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the request is sent by the application via a software development kit (SDK) associated with the API and provided at a presentation layer associated with the at least one network element, wherein the SDK is configured to marshal the request and send the marshaled request via the predefined communications channel, wherein the operation further comprises:

un-marshaling the received request prior to interpreting the request at the network abstraction layer of the at least one network element.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the application includes arbitrary, third-party code, wherein the one or more commands are specific to a platform type of the at least one network element, wherein the request is independent of the platform type of the at least one network element, wherein the predefined communications channel comprises a network-independent remote procedure call (RPC) channel.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operation further comprises:

preventing the modified rule from affecting at least one network flow not associated with a provider of the application.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the specified rule is modified by a management runtime of the at least one network element, wherein the management runtime is configured to independently modify the specified rule responsive to receiving the request from each individual application selected from:

(i) a first application executing on a first of the at least one network element;

(ii) a second application executing on a blade server disposed within a same chassis as the first network element;

(iii) a third application executing on a computer operatively connected to the first network element, and

(iv) a fourth application executing on a virtual machine (VM) operatively connected to the first network element.

15. A system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

a memory containing a program which, when executed by the one or more computer processors, is configured to perform an operation comprising;

receiving a request to modify a specified rule enforced by at least one network element of a software-defined networking (SDN)-enabled network, the specified rule governing disposition of a network flow specific to an application, wherein the request is received via a predefined communications channel configured to expose a predefined application programming interface (API) to the application;

interpreting the request at a network abstraction layer of the at least one network element;

converting the request into one or more commands at a service implementation layer of the at least one network element; and

executing the one or more commands, to modify the specified rule enforced by the at least one network element, responsive to the request.