Apparatus, method, manufacture, and system for providing network services from building blocks

• US 8,571,040 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Science Foundation (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Inventors: Seetharaman, Srinivasan, Bhartia, Apurv, Jain, Sourabh
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWEET, LONNIE V
• Application Number:
  US12/714,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communicating over a network is provided. The method includes obtaining building block codes, where the building blocks codes are capable of being used together to provide an end-to-end service. The building block codes are sent to each appropriate building block controller, where each building block controller is associated with a corresponding network node. Upon receiving a first packet of a connection for the first end-to-end service, a determination as to which network nodes of the plurality of network nodes should be used as network hops for the connection, and as to, for each network node that should be used as a network hop for the connection, which building block codes should be used by the building block controller corresponding to the network node. These determinations are communicated to each of the appropriate building block controllers.

Claims

1. A network device for communicating over a network including a plurality of network nodes, each network node being associated with a building block controller, the network device comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate over the network; and

a processor configured to execute the following steps;

receiving, by the transceiver, a request to configure a first packet-based end-to-end service;

identifying a set of one or more building block codes for performing the first packet-based end-to-end service;

determining a network flow upon the transceiver receiving a first packet of a connection of the first end-to-end service, the network flow determination including;

selecting network nodes of the plurality of network nodes for use as network hops for the connection; and

identifying building block codes of the set of one of more building block codes to be used by each building block controller associated with each selected network node;

communicating, by the transceiver, the network flow determination to the building block controller associated with the identified network node;

determining whether the building block controllers corresponding to the selected network nodes already have the identified building block codes; and

in response to determining that a building block controller does not have an identified building block code, obtaining, by the transceiver, the identified building block code and sending, by the transceiver, the identified building block code to the building block controller determined as not having the identified building block code.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes obtained by the transceiver is requested from a repository and received from the repository.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes obtained by the transceiver is a new virtual interface to an existing building block code.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes is a quality of service function.

5. A method for communicating over a network including a plurality of network nodes, each network node being associated with a building block controller, the method comprising:

receiving, by the transceiver, a request to configure a first packet-based end-to-end service;

identifying a set of one or more building block codes for performing the first packet-based end-to-end service;

determining a network flow upon receiving a first packet of a connection of the first end-to-end service, the network flow determination including;

selecting network nodes of the plurality of network nodes for use as network hops for the connection; and

identifying building block codes of the set of one of more building block codes to be used by each building block controller associated with each selected network node;

communicating the network flow determination to the building block controller associated with the identified network node;

determining whether the building block controllers corresponding to the selected network nodes already have the identified building block codes; and

in response to determining that a building block controller does not have an identified building block code, obtaining, by the transceiver, the identified building block code and sending, by the transceiver, the identified building block code to the building block controller determined as not having the identified building block code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes obtained by the transceiver is requested from a repository and received from the repository.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes obtained by the transceiver is a new virtual interface to an existing building block code.

8. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory processor-readable medium having processor-executable code encoded therein, which when executed by one or more processors, enables actions for communicating over a network including a plurality of network nodes each associated with a building block controller of a plurality of building block controllers, the actions comprising:

receiving a request to configure a first packet-based end-to-end service;

identifying a set of one or more building block codes for performing the first packet-based end-to-end service;

determining a network flow upon receiving a first packet of a connection of the first end-to-end service, the network flow determination including;

selecting network nodes of the plurality of network nodes for use as network hops for the connection; and

identifying building block codes of the set of one of more building block codes to be used by each building block controller associated with each selected network node;

communicating the network flow determination to the building block controller associated with the identified network node;

determining whether the building block controllers corresponding to the selected network nodes already have the identified building block codes; and

in response to determining that a building block controller does not have an identified building block code, obtaining the identified building block code and sending the identified building block code to the building block controller determined as not having the identified building block code.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes obtained by the transceiver is requested from a repository and received from the repository.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes obtained by the transceiver is a new virtual interface to an existing building block code.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes is a quality of service function.

12. A system for communicating over a network, comprising:

a first repository including a directory to a plurality of building block codes and configured to provide access to each of the plurality of building block codes;

a plurality of building block controllers, wherein each of the plurality of building block controllers is associated with a corresponding network node of a plurality of network nodes on the network;

a first service controller, wherein the first service controller is configured to execute the following steps;

receiving a request to configure a first packet-based end-to-end service;

identifying a set of one or more building block codes for performing the first packet-based end-to-end service;

determining a network flow upon receiving a first packet of a connection of the first end-to-end service, the network flow determination including;

selecting network nodes of the plurality of network nodes for use as network hops for the connection; and

identifying building block codes of the set of one of more building block codes to be used by each building block controller associated with each selected network node;

communicating the network flow determination to the building block controller associated with the identified network node;

determining whether the building block controllers corresponding to the selected network nodes already have the identified building block codes; and

in response to determining that a building block controller does not have an identified building block code, obtaining the identified building block code and sending the identified building block code to the building block controller determined as not having the identified building block code.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the building block controllers is configured to execute building block codes based on instructions of the network flow determination and route a first packet to another network node in accordance with the network flow determination.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes obtained by the first service controller is requested from the first repository and received from the first repository.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes obtained by the first service controller is a new virtual interface to an existing building block code.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the building block codes of the set of one or more building block codes is a quality of service function.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first repository includes a registry of each of the plurality of building block codes, wherein the first service controller is configured to communicate with the first repository to register each building block code of the set of one or more building block codes, and wherein the first repository is configured to assign a unique identifier to each building block code of the plurality of building block codes and to list each building block code of the set of one or more building block codes in a searchable index.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a second repository including a directory to another plurality of building block codes and configured to provide access to each building block code of the another plurality of building block codes.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a second service controller that is arranged to control a second end-to-end service.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the building blocks of the plurality of building block codes is arranged to invoke the second end-to-end service.