VPN service management system having a VPN service manager for a provider network and a VPN service agent for a customer network and enabling rapid change of VPN service conditions

• US 7,631,059 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Chang, Ta-Wei, Onodera, Yasuko, Abe, Hiroaki, Arai, Toshimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell; Robert B
• Application Number:
  US10/117,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,804 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-246
• 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 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management

Abstract

A VPN service management system enabling a customer to rapidly and easily change a VPN service condition, that is, a VPN service management system for managing a VPN service for a communication network provided with a customer network and a provider network and having a VPN service manager for managing a VPN service for a provider network and a VPN service agent for managing a VPN service for a customer network. The VPN service manager changes the VPN service condition in real time in accordance with an operation status of the customer network in cooperation with the VPN service agent.

Claims

1. A VPN service management system for managing a VPN service for a communication network provided with a customer network for servicing customers and a provider network constructed by a provider for providing the VPN service to the customers and connected to the customer network, comprising:

a VPN service manager apparatus for managing said VPN service for said provider network, said VPN service manager apparatus being configured to cooperate with a provider network management system managing said provider network, said provider network including a customer edge arranged in said customer network for connection with said provider network; and

a VPN service agent apparatus for managing said VPN service for said customer network, said VPN service agent apparatus being configured to cooperate with a customer network management system managing said customer network, said customer network management system monitoring said customer edge and communicating with said provider network, wherein

said VPN service manager apparatus changes a VPN service condition of said VPN service to be provided in real time in accordance with an operation status of said customer network in cooperation with said VPN service agent apparatus,

said VPN service manager apparatus provides a service menu concerning the VPN service as a VPN service condition table to said VPN service agent apparatus,

when there is a request for change of a VPN service condition on said customer network, the VPN service agent apparatus transmits the request for change to the VPN service manager apparatus via said service menu, and

the VPN service manager apparatus reflects the request for change in said provider network via said provider network management system.

2. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said system provides in said VPN service agent apparatus an operation status change notifying means for notifying a decision to an operation manager of said customer network when said customer network management system monitors the operation status of said customer network and decides that said VPN service condition should be changed by the monitoring result, and

the VPN service agent apparatus semi-automatically changes said VPN service condition by cooperation of said VPN service manager apparatus and said provider network management system when obtaining a reply of permission with respect to said notification.

3. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 2, wherein,

when said VPN service agent apparatus and said customer network management system cooperate in a server/client mode, a remote client terminal attached to said operation manager is introduced as another client, and

said operation status change notifying means is realized by cooperation of said VPN service agent apparatus and said remote client terminal in the server/client mode.

4. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said VPN service agent apparatus and said remote client terminal are connected by a leased line or in-band.

5. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said VPN service agent apparatus has a parameter table for pre-setting and holding changed condition data to be referred to when changing said VPN service condition, and

said VPN service agent apparatus inputs the changed VPN service condition determined by referring to said parameter table to said operation status change notifying means when said customer network management system judges by said monitoring result that said VPN service condition should be changed.

6. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1,

said system providing at said VPN service manager apparatus an operation status change confirming means for requesting confirmation at a remote operation manager of a customer upon receipt of a request when said customer network management system monitors the operation status of said customer network and automatically requesta a change of said VPN service condition to said VPN service manager apparatus in accordance with the monitoring result, and

said VPN service manager apparatus changes said VPN service condition when obtaining a reply of permission with respect to said notification.

7. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said operation status change confirming means is realized by said VPN service manager apparatus and a mobile terminal wirelessly connected to said provider network.

8. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 6, wherein

said VPN service agent apparatus has a parameter table for pre-setting and holding changed condition data to be referred to when changing said VPN service condition, and

said customer network management system transmits the changed VPN service condition determined by referring to said parameter table to said VPN service manager apparatus when judging that said VPN service condition should be changed according to said monitoring result.

9. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said VPN service agent apparatus is comprised of:

a VPN service condition retrieval means for retrieving a current VPN service condition given to the customer network from the VPN service condition table when an order for changing the VPN service condition is generated from a customer; and

a VPN service order issuing means for issuing the order to the VPN service manager apparatus based on the retrieved VPN service condition.

10. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the VPN service manager apparatus is provided with a customer edge control means for controlling the customer edge based on the VPN service condition reset by the VPN service manager apparatus upon receipt of said order when said VPN service manager apparatus controls the customer edge through said VPN service agent apparatus.

11. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said customer network management system monitors the operation status of said customer network and changes of said VPN service condition by full automation without interposition of an operator through cooperation of said VPN service agent apparatus and both said VPN service manager apparatus and said provider network management system in accordance with the monitoring result.

12. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 11, wherein

said VPN service agent apparatus has a parameter table for pre-setting and holding changed condition data to be referred to when changing said VPN service condition, and

said customer network management system transmits the changed VPN service condition determined by referring to said parameter table to said VPN service manager apparatus when deciding that said VPN service condition should be changed by said monitoring result.

13. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1, further having an in-band means for using the VPN per se, as in-band, constructed by a contract between said provider and said customer in-band for said cooperation between said VPN service manager apparatus and said VPN service agent apparatus.

14. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 13, wherein in-band means are formed at said customer edge and a provider edge arranged inside said provider network for connection with the customer edge.

15. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said VPN service manager apparatus is comprised of:

a VPN service order control means for receiving an order for changing the VPN service condition generated from the VPN service agent apparatus and outputting a changed VPN service condition concerned in that order,

a VPN service condition retrieval means for retrieving a present VPN service condition given to a concerned customer network from the VPN service condition table when that order is generated,

a VPN service condition decision means for deciding whether or not a range by which the changed VPN service condition exceeds the present VPN service condition is within an allowable range,

a VPN service condition setting means for resetting the present VPN service condition to the changed VPN service condition when the result of said decision is “

POSSIBLE”

, and

a customer edge control means for controlling the customer edge based on the reset VPN service condition.

16. A VPN service management system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said VPN service agent apparatus collects the operation status of said customer network for changing the VPN service condition directly from said customer network management system.