Integrated network and service management with automated flow through configuration and provisioning of virtual private networks

• US 6,662,221 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2000
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gonda, Rohinton S., Shu, Nin Kin, Vangala, Ramalingeswara R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/546,589
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200-203, 709/220-229, 709/236, 709/242, 709/245, 370/254, 370/396-401, 370/409, 713/201, 701/10
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 12/4675 Dynamic sharing of VLAN information amongst network nodes configuration of the network or of network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0859 by keeping history of different configuration generations or by rolling back to previous configuration versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• 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 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

In one aspect of the invention, an automated system for managing a virtual private network comprises one or more processing devices operative to: (i) generate a service order based on a request from a user for at least one of a new service, a modification of an existing service and a termination of an existing service associated with the virtual private network; (ii) cause a determination of design requirements associated with implementing the user'"'"'s request; (iii) cause provisioning of one or more virtual private network elements, when necessary, to implement the design requirements; (iv) cause the virtual private network to be configured to satisfy one or more conditions associated with the user'"'"'s request; and (v) cause at least a portion of the virtual private network to be tested to determine whether the user'"'"'s request has been satisfied; and a memory, coupled to the one or more processing devices, which stores at least a portion of data associated with the generating, design, provisioning, configuration and testing operations.

Claims

1. An automated system for managing a virtual private network, comprising:

one or more processing devices operative to;

(i) generate a service order based on a request from a user for at least one of a new service, a modification of an existing service and a termination of an existing service associated with the virtual private network;

(ii) cause a determination of design requirements associated with implementing the user'"'"'s request;

(iii) cause provisioning of one or more virtual private network elements, when necessary, to implement the design requirements;

(iv) cause the virtual private network to be configured to satisfy one or more conditions associated with the user'"'"'s request; and

(v) cause at least a portion of the virtual private network to be tested to determine whether the user'"'"'s request has been satisfied; and

a memory, coupled to the one or more processing devices, which stores at least a portion of data associated with the generating, design, provisioning, configuration and testing operations.

2. The automated system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the processing devices is a client device and at least one processing device is a server, the client device and the server being coupled via a communications network.

3. The automated system of claim 2, wherein the client device is resident at a location associated with the user and the server is resident at a location associated with a provider of the virtual private network.

4. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the virtual private network is an Internet Protocol based virtual private system.

5. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to at least one of track and report configuration information associated with the virtual private network to the user.

6. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to at least one of track and report fault information associated with the virtual private network to the user.

7. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to at least one of track and report performance information associated with the virtual private network to the user.

8. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the at least one or more processing devices are further operative to provide a graphical user interface for permitting the user to enter the service request.

9. The automated system of claim 8, wherein the at least one or more processing devices are further operative to generate the service order in response to the entry of the request by the user at the graphical user interface.

10. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to present the user with one or more attributes associated with the virtual private network.

11. The automated system of claim 10, wherein the one or more attributes comprise at least one of:

(i) source address information;

(ii) destination address information;

(iii) transport protocol information;

(iv) source/destination port information;

(v) quality of service information;

(vi) bandwidth information;

(vii) data flow direction information; and

(viii) tunneling protocol information.

12. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to authenticate the user'"'"'s identity.

13. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to interface with the one or more virtual private network elements with respect to at least one of the provisioning, configuration and testing operations.

14. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to interface with one or more other networks associated with the virtual private network with respect to at least one of the provisioning, configuration and testing operations.

15. An automated system for managing a virtual private network, comprising one or more processing devices operative to form:

an order management subsystem for generating a service order based on a request from a user for at least one of a new service, a modification of an existing service and a termination of an existing service associated with the virtual private network;

a configuration management subsystem, coupled to the order management subsystem, for;

(i) causing a determination of design requirements associated with implementing the user'"'"'s request;

(ii) causing provisioning of one or more virtual private network elements, when necessary, to implement the design requirements;

(iii) causing the virtual private network to be configured to satisfy one or more conditions associated with the user'"'"'s request; and

(iv) causing at least a portion of the virtual private network to be tested to determine whether the user'"'"'s request has been satisfied; and

an interface subsystem, coupled to the configuration management subsystem, for providing one or more interfaces to the configuration management subsystem in order to communicate with at least one of the one or more virtual private network elements and other networks, with respect to at least one of the provisioning, configuration and testing operations.

16. The automated system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the processing devices is a client device and at least one processing device is a server, the client device and the server being coupled via a communications network.

17. The automated system of claim 16, wherein the client device is resident at a location associated with the user and the server is resident at a location associated with a provider of the virtual private network.

18. The automated system of claim 15, wherein the virtual private network is an Internet Protocol based virtual private system.

19. The automated system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to at least one of track and report configuration information associated with the virtual private network to the user.

20. The automated system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to at least one of track and report fault information associated with the virtual private network to the user.

21. The automated system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to at least one of track and report performance information associated with the virtual private network to the user.

22. The automated system of claim 15, wherein the at least one or more processing devices are further operative to provide a graphical user interface for permitting the user to enter the service request.

23. The automated system of claim 22, wherein the at least one or more processing devices are further operative to generate the service order in response to the entry of the request by the user at the graphical user interface.

24. The automated system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to present the user with one or more attributes associated with the virtual private network.

25. The automated system of claim 24, wherein the one or more attributes comprise at least one of:

(i) source address information;

(ii) destination address information;

(iii) transport protocol information;

(iv) source/destination port information;

(v) quality of service information;

(vi) bandwidth information;

(vii) data flow direction information; and

(viii) tunneling protocol information.

26. The automated system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processing devices are further operative to authenticate the user'"'"'s identity.

27. An article of manufacture for managing a virtual private network, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

automatically generating a service order based on a request from a user for at least one of a new service, a modification of an existing service and a termination of an existing service associated with the virtual private network;

automatically causing a determination of design requirements associated with implementing the user'"'"'s request;

automatically causing provisioning of one or more virtual private network elements, when necessary, to implement the design requirements;

automatically causing the virtual private network to be configured to satisfy one or more conditions associated with the user'"'"'s request; and

automatically causing at least a portion of the virtual private network to be tested to determine whether the user'"'"'s request has been satisfied.

28. A computer-implemented method of managing a virtual private network, comprising the steps of:

automatically generating a service order based on a request from a user for at least one of a new service, a modification of an existing service and a termination of an existing service associated with the virtual private network;

automatically causing a determination of design requirements associated with implementing the user'"'"'s request;

automatically causing provisioning of one or more virtual private network elements, when necessary, to implement the design requirements;

automatically causing the virtual private network to be configured to satisfy one or more conditions associated with the user'"'"'s request; and

automatically causing at least a portion of the virtual private network to be tested to determine whether the user'"'"'s request has been satisfied.