System and Method for Implementing Isolated Service Overlays Between Provider Network Service Point and Customer Premises

• US 20160330074A1
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cook, Charles I., Bugenhagen, Michael K., McBride, Kevin M., Cook, Andrew V., Fargano, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/27 Arrangements for networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2878 Access multiplexer, e.g. DSLAM generic distributed time multiplexers, e.g. TDM/TDMA H04J3/1694
• 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4629 using multilayer switching, e.g. layer 3 switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing extension of customer local area networks (“LANs”) and/or implementing isolated service overlays over a network. In some embodiments, a network service point that is located external to a demarcation point at each of a plurality of customer premises might establish a connection between a service provider network and a customer LAN, which has already been established within a customer premises. The system subsequently extends the customer LAN, via this connection, to span between the network service point and the customer premises. Alternatively, or additionally, the system might establish two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises, each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing, at a network service point in a service provider network, a connection between the service provider network and a customer local area network (“

LAN”

), the customer LAN being established within a customer premises of a plurality of customer premises; and

establishing two or more isolated service overlays across the connection between the network service point and the customer premises, each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more isolated service overlays comprise two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“

IoT”

) service overlay, a programmable services backbone (“

PSB”

) service overlay, a content delivery network (“

CDN”

) service overlay, one or more application service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises comprises establishing one of a virtual LAN (“

VLAN”

) or a virtual extensible LAN (“

VXLAN”

) for each of the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network service point is located at one of an edge switch, a central office, or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“

DSLAM”

).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network service point is located at one of an optical line terminal (“

OLT”

), a network access point (“

NAP”

), a network interface device (“

NID”

), or an enhanced NID (“

eNID”

), each of which is located near or within the customer premises.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN comprises one of establishing a wireless connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, establishing a wired connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, establishing a hybrid wireless/wired connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, or establishing a backup connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays comprises mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a programmable services backbone (“

PSB”

) function, a network functions virtualization (“

NFV”

) function, or a software-defined network (“

SDN”

) function.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively placing at least one of a firewall, an application, or content in any one or more of the two or more isolated service overlays, without affecting network traffic or network service along any other of the two or more isolated service overlays.

10. A system, comprising:

a gateway device located at a customer premises of a plurality of customer premises, the gateway device comprising;

at least one first processor; and

a first non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one first processor, the first non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a first set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, causes the gateway device to;

establish a customer local area network (“

LAN”

) within the customer premises; and

a network node located at a network service point in a service provider network, the network node comprising;

at least one second processor; and

a second non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one second processor, the second non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a second set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, causes the network node to;

establish, at the network service point, a connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN; and

establish two or more isolated service overlays across the connection between the network service point and the customer premises, each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the two or more isolated service overlays comprise two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“

IoT”

) service overlay, a programmable services backbone (“

PSB”

) service overlay, a content delivery network (“

CDN”

) service overlay, one or more application service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein establishing the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises comprises establishing one of a virtual LAN (“

VLAN”

) or a virtual extensible LAN (“

VXLAN”

) for each of the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the network service point is located at one of an edge switch, a central office, or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“

DSLAM”

).

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the network service point is located at one of an optical line terminal (“

OLT”

), a network access point (“

NAP”

), a network interface device (“

NID”

), or an enhanced NID (“

eNID”

), each of which is located near or within the customer premises.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein establishing the connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN comprises one of establishing a wireless connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, establishing a wired connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, establishing a hybrid wireless/wired connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, or establishing a backup connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the second set of instructions, when executed by the at least one second processor, further causes the network node to:

map between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays comprises mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a programmable services backbone (“

PSB”

) function, a network functions virtualization (“

NFV”

) function, or a software-defined network (“

SDN”

) function.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the second set of instructions, when executed by the at least one second processor, further causes the network node to:

selectively place at least one of a firewall, an application, or content in any one or more of the two or more isolated service overlays, without affecting network traffic or network service along any other of the two or more isolated service overlays.

19. An apparatus located at a network service point in a service provider network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to;

establish, at the network service point, a connection between the service provider network and a customer local area network (“

LAN”

), the customer LAN being established within a customer premises of a plurality of customer premises; and

establish two or more isolated service overlays across the connection between the network service point and the customer premises, each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the two or more isolated service overlays comprise two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“

IoT”

) service overlay, a programmable services backbone (“

PSB”

) service overlay, a content delivery network (“

CDN”

) service overlay, one or more application service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein establishing the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises comprises establishing one of a virtual LAN (“

VLAN”

) or a virtual extensible LAN (“

VXLAN”

) for each of the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the network service point is located at one of an edge switch, a central office, or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“

DSLAM”

).

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the apparatus to:

map between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a programmable services backbone (“

PSB”

) function, a network functions virtualization (“

NFV”

) function, or a software-defined network (“

SDN”

) function.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the apparatus to:

selectively place at least one of a firewall, an application, or content in any one or more of the two or more isolated service overlays, without affecting network traffic or network service along any other of the two or more isolated service —

overlays.