Logical service domains for enabling network mobility

• US 7,751,409 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Carolan, Jason T.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL
• Application Number:
  US10/925,325
• Time in Patent Office: 2,143 Days
• Field of Search: 370351-357, 370/395.52, 370/395.53, 3703953-39531, 709/204, 709/223, 709/229, 709/232, 709/238, 709/243, 709/249
• US Class Current: 370/395.53
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5045 Making service definitions prior to deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method, and corresponding system, for managing a service delivery network. The method includes steps to add a service to the network including receiving a request for a new service, such as a service provided by a service application. The request is processed to identify resources within the service delivery network for providing the new service including a host for running the service application. A container is provided on the host and is configured to encapsulate the service application. The method continues with establishing membership of the container in a virtual local access network, which includes configuring the container for data packet communications utilizing VLAN tagging.

Claims

1. A method for adding a service to a service delivery network, comprising:

receiving a request for a new service for a service delivery network, the new service being provided by a service application;

processing the request to identify resources within the service delivery network for providing the new service, the identified resources comprising a host;

providing a container on the host;

configuring the container to encapsulate the service application including encapsulating resources used to provide the service application; and

establishing membership of the container in a virtual local access network (VLAN), wherein the membership establishing comprises configuring the container for data packet communications with VLAN tagging.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified resources comprise a switch and a load balancing device and wherein the membership establishing comprises configuring the VLAN on the switch including assigning the VLAN to a port to which the host is connected.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the membership establishing comprises configuring the load balancing device for the new service and configuring the load balancing device for a network address of the container.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the membership establishing comprises configuring the container with the network address of the container.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request for a new service for the service delivery network, the second new service being provided by a second service application;

processing the second request to identify resources within the service delivery network for providing the second new service, the identified resources comprising a second host;

providing a container on the second host;

configuring the container on the second host to encapsulate the second service application; and

establishing membership of the container on the second host in a second virtual local access network (VLAN), wherein the membership establishing comprises configuring the container for data packet communications with VLAN tagging, wherein the second VLAN differs from the VLAN, whereby the new service and the second service are provided concurrently in the service delivery network via the host and the second host.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the resources for providing the new service and the second service comprise a switch, the switch being configured for the VLAN and the second VLAN.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the VLAN is assigned to a first security zone defining a first set of security measures and the second VLAN is assigned to a second security zone defining a second set of security measures differing from the first set of security measures.

8. A service delivery network, comprising:

a first application configured to provide a first service;

a second application configured to provide a second service;

a pair of servers running the first application;

a pair of servers running the second application;

containers on each of the servers containing the first and second applications, the containers each encapsulating resources for providing the first and second applications;

a switch interposed between the pair of servers running the first application and interposed between the pair of servers running the second application;

a first virtual local access network (VLAN) including the containers containing the first application and the switch as members; and

a second VLAN including the containers containing the second application and the switch as members.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a load balancer connected to the pair of switches and configured for the addresses of the containers in the first and second VLANs.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein one of each of the pairs of servers is a host platform for the first service or the second service.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a third application configured to provide a third service, containers on at least two of the servers containing the third application, and a third VLAN including the containers containing the third application and the switch as members.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first or second VLANs is configured for VLAN tagging.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the first or second VLANs is not a port-based VLAN.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the first and second VLANs are in differing security zones in which differing security levels are being applied to service communications.

15. A method for managing a service delivery network, comprising:

moving binary and configuration files associated with a service to a host;

establishing a container on the host to contain the service including encapsulating all resources used to provide the service within the container;

modifying configuration of a switch in the service delivery network for membership in a virtual local access network (VLAN);

establishing membership of the container in the VLAN; and

starting the service, wherein packets associated with the service are communicated within the service delivery network with VLAN tagging.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising setting a load balancing switch for the service, the setting including configuring the local balancing switch for the IP address of the container.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising assigning the VLAN to a port to which the host is connected.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving an add service command and processing the command to identify resources including the host for running the service and encapsulating all the identified resources within the container.

19. The method of claim 15, each of the packets comprises a tag indication and an identifier for the VLAN.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising establishing a second container on the host to contain a second service, modifying the configuration of the switch for membership in a second VLAN, establishing membership of the second container in the second VLAN, and starting the second service.