On line web portal for private network service providers

• US 8,751,323 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Equinix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Equinix Incorporated
• Inventors: Waldrop, Craig Alan, Youn, Sukwan, Patterson, Lane Gordon, Felbinger, Kirk
• Primary Examiner(s): HAQ, NAEEM U
• Application Number:
  US13/614,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20130018753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.2, 705/26.25, 705/26.3, 705/26.35, 705/26.4, 705 2641- 2644, 705/26.5, 705 2661- 2664, 705/26.7, 705/26.8, 705/26.81, 705/26.82, 705/26.9, 705/27.1, 705/27.2
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• 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 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• 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 49/3054 Auto-negotiation, e.g. access control between switch gigabit interface connector [GBIC] and link

Abstract

A web-enabled user interface is provided to enable the carriers of private networks to interact and to offer services to one another. The web-enabled user interface is integrated to a switch fabric configured to provide interconnection services for the carriers. The web-enabled user interface is configured to enable the carriers to assign different roles to different representatives. Each of the representatives is granted certain rights and permissions by an administrator representative based on the representative'"'"'s role. The web-enabled user interface is configured to present to each representative a unique interface based on their roles thus providing each representative a unique experience.

Claims

1. A method for an Ethernet exchange service implementing a physical integrated switch fabric, comprising:

enabling a plurality of carriers to participate in the Ethernet exchange service that comprises a web-enabled user interface and the physical integrated switch fabric having one or more Ethernet exchangers, the plurality of carriers having their private Ethernet networks connected to ports of the one or more Ethernet exchangers, the one or more Ethernet exchangers are configured to provision virtual circuits interconnecting the private Ethernet networks;

enabling each of the plurality of carriers to assign roles and rights and permissions to an administrator and to a group of representatives to act on behalf of each of the carriers;

enabling the administrator and each of the representatives in the group to have a different experience using the web-enabled user interface based on one or more of their assigned roles, rights, and permissions; and

enabling the administrator and one or more of the representatives in the group to enter lit building information on behalf of their carrier using one or more templates, wherein the lit building information is to be stored in a searchable database for discovery by other carriers, where portions of the Ethernet exchange service including the steps of the method are implemented by software scripted routines, hardware logic, and any combination of both, and any software is tangibly stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the administrator and the one or more representatives in the group of representatives to submit request for quotes, respond to the request for quotes, placing orders for the virtual circuits, and monitor and troubleshoot issues related to the virtual circuits.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the administrator and the representatives in the group performs tasks on behalf of their carriers using web pages associated with the web-enabled user interface, wherein the web pages include a home page having options to enable searching for lit buildings based on street addresses and metropolitan areas or cities, and wherein the homepage includes options to submit the request for quotes and respond to the request for quotes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the templates include a carrier qualification template to allow that carrier to qualify and a carrier profile template to list their information, services offered as well as network capabilities.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the roles assigned to the one or more representatives in the group include roles that are authorized to search for services, submit a request for quote and responses to the request for quotes, provision the virtual circuits between the private Ethernet networks, and monitor and troubleshoot the virtual circuits.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the web-enabled user interface with a website on the world wide web with a homepage having a plurality of options to enable the administrator and the group of representatives to perform actions on behalf of their participating carriers, and wherein the options and web pages associated with the homepage are selectively presented to each of the representatives in the group based on their one or more assigned roles and granted rights and permissions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the assigned roles and the granted rights and permissions to the representatives in the group by inviting them to become a member of the web site, and requiring each of the representatives in the group to provide own credential information without involving the administrator, and wherein the rights and permissions are granted by the administrator subsequent to each of the representatives having established their own credential information with the web site.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing translation services in between two private Ethernet networks independent of the proprietary protocol used in either private Ethernet network, wherein the switch fabric includes an application coded to act as an agent to convert back and forth between various protocols, bandwidth requirements among the private Ethernet networks of the participating carriers.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing application programming interfaces (API'"'"'s) 1) to enable the participating carriers to push information regarding their private Ethernet network from their searchable database across the API in a standard way to the web-enabled user interface or 2) to enable the web-enabled user interface to pull the information regarding a participating carrier'"'"'s network from their searchable database across the API in a standard way, wherein the API'"'"'s are configured to enable the participating carriers 1) to view the information the participating carriers'"'"' applications on the web-enabled user interface, and 2) to store the information in their own database, which is then replicated in the searchable database associated with the Ethernet exchange service, and eliminate a need to manually map out a migration of data in particular fields in a participating carriers'"'"' database to the particular fields in the searchable database associated with the Ethernet exchanger.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch fabric and the web-enabled user interface are carrier-neutral, wherein the web-enabled user interface is configured to allow the discovery of lit buildings by capacity, price, service level, and buildings that have Ethernet services, wherein the discovery is enabled by the one or more templates, and wherein information provided by participating carriers via the one or more templates is stored and aggregated to be searchable and publishable.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a machine, are configured to cause the machine to perform the operations in claim 1.

12. A system for enabling a plurality of carriers to participate in an Ethernet exchange service, comprising:

a web-enabled user interface and a physical integrated switch fabric having one or more Ethernet exchangers, the plurality of carriers having their private Ethernet networks connected to ports of the one or more Ethernet exchangers, where they are configured to provision virtual circuits interconnecting the private Ethernet networks,

wherein the physical integrated switch fabric is configured to enable each of the plurality of carriers to assign roles and rights and permissions to an administrator and to a group of representatives to act on behalf of each of the plurality of carriers,

wherein the web-enabled user interface is configured to provide a different experience to the administrator and each of the representatives in the group based on one or more of their roles and rights and permissions, and

one or more templates from the web-enabled user interface configured to permit the administrator and one or more of the representatives in the group to enter lit building information on behalf of their carrier, wherein the lit building information is stored in a searchable database for discovery by other carriers, where portions of the system including the web-enabled user interface and the physical integrated switch fabric are implemented by software scripted routines, hardware logic, and any combination of both, and any software is tangibly stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the web-enabled user interface is configured to enable the administrator and the one or more representatives in the group to submit request for quotes, respond to the request for quotes, place orders for the virtual circuits, and monitor and troubleshoot issues related to the virtual circuits.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the administrator and the representatives in the group performs tasks on behalf of their carriers using web pages associated with the web-enabled user interface, wherein the web pages include a home page having options to enable searching for lit buildings based on street addresses and metropolitan areas or cities, and wherein the homepage includes options to submit the request for quotes and respond to the request for quotes.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the templates include a carrier qualification template to allow that carrier to qualify and a carrier profile template to list their information, services offered as well as network capabilities.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the roles assigned to the representatives in the group include roles that are authorized to search for services, submit a request for quote and responses to the request for quotes, provision the virtual circuits between the private Ethernet networks, and monitor and troubleshoot the virtual circuits.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the web-enabled user interface is associated with a website on the world wide web and comprises a homepage having a plurality of options to enable the administrator and the group of representatives to perform actions on behalf of their participating carriers, and wherein options and web pages associated with the homepage are selectively presented to each of the one or more representatives in the group based on the one or more of their assigned roles and the granted rights and permissions.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the switch fabric is configured to perform translation services in between two private Ethernet networks independent of the proprietary protocol used in either private Ethernet network, wherein the switch fabric includes an application coded to act as an agent to convert back and forth between various protocols, bandwidth requirements among the private Ethernet networks of the participating carriers.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the web-enabled user interface is configured to provide application programming interfaces (API'"'"'s) 1) to enable the participating carriers to push information regarding their network from their database across the API in a standard way to the web-enabled user interface or 2) to enable the web-enabled user interface to pull information regarding a participating carrier'"'"'s network from their database across the API in a standard way, wherein the API'"'"'s are configured to enable the participating carriers 1) to view the information from participating carriers'"'"' applications on the web-enabled user interface ,and 2) to store the information in their own said database, which is then replicated in the database associated with the Ethernet exchange service, and eliminate a need to manually map out a migration of data in particular fields in a participating carriers'"'"' database to the particular fields in the database associated with the Ethernet exchange service.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the physical integrated switch fabric and the web-enabled user interface are carrier-neutral, wherein the web-enabled user interface is configured to allow discovery of lit buildings by capacity, price, service level, and buildings that have Ethernet services, wherein the discovery is enabled by the one or more templates, and wherein information provided by the participating carriers via the one or more templates is stored and aggregated to be searchable and publishable.