System and apparatus of a software-service-defined-network (SSDN)

• US 9,106,515 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chou, Wu, Luo, Min, Li, Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Faroul, Farah
• Application Number:
  US13/829,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20140112192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/14 Routing performance; Theoretical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing

Abstract

A network apparatus for coupling control plane controllers and data plane switches in a global software service defined network (SSDN), wherein the global SSDN comprises a plurality of local SSDNs, comprising a network software service layer (NSSL) service bus comprising a processor, wherein the NSSL service bus is coupled to a plurality of network controllers and to a plurality of network switches, wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to coordinate the actions of the plurality of network controllers, wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to expose the plurality of controllers as services addressable by service names, wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to extend a local SSDN into a global SSDN network; and wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to provide the network controllers with global network information, such that the network controllers provide end-to-end service routing in the global SSDN network.

Claims

1. A network apparatus for coupling network controllers and network switches in a global software service defined network (SSDN), wherein the global SSDN comprises a plurality of local SSDNs, comprising:

a network software service layer (NSSL) service bus comprising a processor, wherein the NSSL service bus is coupled to a plurality of network controllers and to a plurality of network switches,

wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to coordinate the actions of the plurality of network controllers,

wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to expose the plurality of controllers as services addressable by service names,

wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to extend a local SSDN into a global SSDN network; and

wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to provide the network controllers with global network information, such that the network controllers provide end-to-end service routing in the global SSDN network.

2. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein a service is provided by at least two of the plurality of network controllers, and wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to select one of the at least two network controllers to provide the service based on availability of the controller, failover, load balancing, and mobility.

3. The network apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a centralized network information base (NIB) coupled to the NSSL service bus, wherein the centralized NIB dynamically combines and extends local network NIBs into a global NIB to support global network management and end-to-end routing.

4. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the NSSL service bus sits on top of a network layer.

5. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the NSSL service bus provides a service abstraction layer for the global SSDN.

6. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the NSSL service bus is coupled to another NSSL service bus that is coupled to another SSDN network.

7. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network controllers are OpenFlow (OF) network controllers.

8. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the NSSL service bus supports late binding, mobility, failover, and load balancing.

9. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein services provided by the network controllers are addressed and consumed through service names.

10. The network apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of service interfaces corresponding to the service names, wherein the services are configured to control and manage network resources.

11. A system for software service defined networking (SSDN) environment, comprising:

a network software service layer (NSSL) service bus in a NSSL, wherein the NSSL service bus comprises a processor;

a service bus utilities node comprising a plurality of service bus utilities used by the NSSL service bus to manage and control interaction between a plurality of network controllers and a plurality of network switches in a plurality of local networks;

a plurality of adapters coupling the NSSL service bus to the plurality of network controllers and the plurality of network switches,

wherein the network controllers determine a path for data to traverse at least one of the local networks via at least some of the plurality of switches,

wherein the network switches are configured to forward data through the SSDN, and

wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to provide the network controllers with global network information, such that the network controllers provide end-to-end service routing plane in a global SSDN network comprising the plurality of local networks.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a service is provided by at least two of the plurality of network controllers, and wherein the NSSL service bus is configured to select one of the at least two network controllers to provide the service based on availability of the controller, failover, load balancing, and mobility.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a centralized network information base (NIB) coupled to the NSSL service bus, wherein the centralized NIB dynamically combines and extends local network NIBs into a global NIB to support global network management and end-to-end routing.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the NSSL service bus sits on top of a network layer.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the NSSL service bus provides a service abstraction layer for the global SSDN.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the NSSL service bus is a first NSSL service bus and further comprising a second NSSL service bus, wherein the first NSSL service bus is coupled to the second NSSL service bus, and wherein the second NSSL service bus is coupled to a local network.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the network resources are deployed on the NSSL as services with corresponding service interfaces, wherein the services are addressed by service names supporting at least one of service mobility, migration, failover, and load balancing.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the SSDN supports advanced service computing operations wherein the advanced service computing operations comprise at least one of late-binding, service discovery, service morphing, and service planning.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the SSDN is a logically centralized and physically distributed global network view of the network.

20. A computer program product executable by a processor in a network software service layer (NSSL) service bus in a software service defined network (SSDN), the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by the processor causes the NSSL service bus to perform the following:

coordinate actions of a plurality of network controllers in the SSDN, wherein at least some of the network controllers correspond to different local SSDNs;

expose the plurality of network controllers as services addressable by service names;

extend the local SSDNs into a global SSDN network; and

provide the network controllers with global network information, such that the network controllers provide end-to-end service routing in the global SSDN network.