Method and apparatus for a software programmable intelligent network
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
- controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane;
controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane;
defining one or more network policies with one or more cognitive controllers situated in a third logically separate plane; and
executing said network policies with said management controllers.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A reservation request is received for a data transport session. The reservation request contains a requested class of communication service through the asynchronous network. The state of the network along the route is then preferably determined and at least one end-to-end route through the network is obtained. The route is based on the requested class of communication service and the state of the network. The data transport session is then controlled, such that data is forced to travel along at least one route through the asynchronous network. This is preferably done by controlling multiple data controllers dispersed along the at least one route by mapping specific data protocols to specific routes, or mapping specific data protocols to specific ports in each data controller. If a state of the asynchronous network indicates that the route cannot transport data in conformity to the class of communication service, then the route is changed to a backup route through the network.
36 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; defining one or more network policies with one or more cognitive controllers situated in a third logically separate plane; and executing said network policies with said management controllers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 22)
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7. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling said switching or forwarding devices comprises determining at least one end-to-end route through said network, and directing said switching or forwarding devices to transport data along said end-to-end route; and
wherein, said at least one end-to-end route comprises a currently compliant end-to-end route through said network;said controlling said switching or forwarding devices further comprises continuously determining the current state of said network; and said currently compliant end-to-end route is managed to be continually compliant with a requested class of service based on said continuously determined state of said network. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; said switching or forwarding devices communicate through data links; and said controlling said switching and forwarding devices comprises communicating between said one or more management controllers and said data transport means via control circuits distinct from said data links. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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12. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling comprises mapping specific transport protocols to specific routes or route segments, or mapping specific transport protocols to specific ports in each said forwarding or switching device.
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13. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling said switching or forwarding devices comprises determining at least one end-to-end route through said network, and directing said switching or forwarding devices to transport data along said end-to-end route; and wherein said controlling comprises selecting at least one predetermined primary route through said network from an inventory of multiple predetermined route segments, said selecting being at least partially based on current states of said multiple predetermined route segments, wherein said current states are based on plural parameters selected from a group comprising quality of service, performance, bandwidth, latency, security level, reliability or economic class. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling said switching or forwarding devices comprises determining at least one end-to-end route through said network, and directing said switching or forwarding devices to transport data along said end-to-end route; and wherein said determining is based at least in part on a requested class of service, the requested class of service being dependent on at least one of required bandwidth, transport data rate, maximum delay allowed by the requested class of service, variations in delay allowed by the requested class of service, allowed transport cost, allowed priority relative to other data being transported, or required reliability of the requested class of service.
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16. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling said switching or forwarding devices comprises continuously determining the current state of said network; and wherein said determining the current state of the network comprises determining said current state route-segment by route-segment along a selected route, said determining occurring concurrently with data traffic, enabling switching to one or more predetermined back-up routes in the event of current non-compliance of the selected primary route with the requirements of the desired class of communication service while maintaining said class of communication service. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling said switching or forwarding devices comprises continuously determining the current state of said network; and wherein said current state is determined regularly at time intervals sufficiently short to enable near-real-time control of said network.
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21. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling said switching or forwarding devices comprises continuously determining the current state of said network; and wherein said controlling further comprises transmitting said current state of the network to said at least one management controller via a distinct communication circuit.
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23. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling further comprises changing a primary route to a back-up route, if a current state of said network indicates that said route cannot transport data in conformity to the requested class of service; and said changing said route to a back-up route is accomplished in said transport means independent of lower layers in said network in sufficient time to preserve said class of communication service.
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24. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling said switching or forwarding devices comprises determining at least one end-to-end route through said network; directing said switching or forwarding devices to transport data along said end-to-end route; and monitoring and recording usage patterns network-wide of data transport sessions.
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25. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with one or more switching or forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane; and controlling said switching or forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane; wherein said controlling said switching or forwarding devices comprises determining at least one end-to-end route through said network; directing said switching or forwarding devices to transport data along said end-to-end route; receiving a reservation request for a requested class of service; and determining said end-to-end route based at least in part on said requested class of service. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for end-to-end control of data transport through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network comprising plural switching or forwarding devices dispersed throughout and communicating through data links in a first logical control plane, the system comprising:
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one or more management controllers dispersed throughout a second, logically distinct control plane, said management controllers configured for control of said switching of forwarding devices; and one or more distinct communications circuits disposed logically outside of said first logical control plane providing communication between said management controllers and said switching or forwarding devices; wherein said at least one management controller contains instructions for receiving a reservation request for a data transport session, wherein said reservation request contains a requested class of service through said network. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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34. A system for end-to-end control of data transport through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network comprising plural switching or forwarding devices dispersed throughout and communicating through data links in a first logical control plane, the system comprising:
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one or more management controllers dispersed throughout a second, logically distinct control plane, said management controllers configured for control of said switching of forwarding devices; one or more distinct communications circuits disposed logically outside of said first logical control plane providing communication between said management controllers and said switching or forwarding devices; and at least one cognitive controller disposed in a third, logically distinct control plane, said at least one cognitive controller communicating with said at least one management controller via one or more distinct communications circuits logically outside of the first logical plane. - View Dependent Claims (35, 40)
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41. A computer-implemented method for end-to-end control of data transportation means through a software-programmable packet-, frame-, or cell-based network, comprising:
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controlling data transport through the network with a plurality of forwarding devices distributed throughout the network in a first logical plane, the forwarding devices comprising a plurality of at least one of routers, data controllers, and switches communicating through data links residing in said first logical plane to transport data between a source and a destination based on address information included with said data; and controlling said forwarding devices with one or more management controllers situated in a second logically separate plane, wherein said controlling said switching or forwarding devices comprises; receiving a reservation request for a requested class of service for transport of said data through the network from the source to the destination; determining at least one end-to-end route through said network from the source to the destination based at least in part on said requested class of service; and directing said switching or forwarding devices to transport data along said determined end-to-end route. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification