Platform for private internet protocol (IP) cloud services

• US 9,515,985 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Schell, Richard C., Copeland, William F., Gross, Scott W., O'Keefe, Thomas J., Tomotaki, Luis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Daftuar, Saket K
• Application Number:
  US14/063,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20140250240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2535 Multiple local networks, e.g. resolving potential IP address conflicts

Abstract

A device receives data from a user device, where the data is associated with a customer address, and the customer address is associated with the user device. The device verifies that the customer address is associated with a customer that subscribes to a private cloud service. The device translates, when the customer address is verified, the customer address to an address that is unique to a customer virtual route forwarding (VRF) function provide by the device. The device provides, based on translating the customer address, the data to the customer VRF function via the unique address. The device routes, based on providing the data to the customer VRF function, the data to the private cloud service via the customer VRF function and a secure connection.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, data from a user device,

the data being associated with a customer address,

the customer address being associated with the user device,

the customer address overlapping with addresses associated with the device;

comparing, by a data center virtual route forwarding (VRF) function of the device, the customer address to a list of addresses;

verifying, by the data center VRF function of the device, that the customer address is associated with a customer that subscribes to a private cloud service, based on comparing the customer address to the list of addresses;

translating, by the device and when the customer address is verified, the customer address to a unique address that is unique to a customer VRF function provided by the device,

the customer VRF function being used in the private cloud service;

providing, by the device and based on translating the customer address, the data to the customer VRF function via the unique address; and

routing, by the device and based on providing the data to the customer VRF function, the data to the private cloud service via the customer VRF function and a secure connection.

2. The method of claim 1, where the data is received from a data center device that receives the data from the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, where verifying that the customer address is associated with the customer that subscribes to the private cloud service comprises:

comparing the customer address to a list of valid Internet protocol (IP) addresses; and

verifying that the customer address is associated with the customer that subscribes to the private cloud service when the customer address matches a valid IP address provided in the list of valid IP addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing the data from being routed to the private cloud service when the customer address is not verified.

5. The method of claim 1, where translating the customer address to the unique address comprises:

utilizing network address translation (NAT) or network address and port translation (NAPT) to translate the customer address to the unique address.

6. The method of claim 1, where the unique address is in a format that is compatible with the private cloud service.

7. The method of claim 1, where the device connects to a data center device via a single connection and the method further comprises:

receiving the data from the user device via the data center device and via the single connection.

8. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

provide a data center virtual route forwarding (VRF) function to;

receive data from a user device,

the data being associated with a customer address,

 

the customer address being associated with the user device,

 

the customer address overlapping with addresses associated with the device;

compare the customer address to a list of addresses; and

verify that the customer address is associated with a customer that subscribes to a private cloud service, based on comparing the customer address to the list of addresses;

provide a network address translation (NAT) function to;

translate, when the customer address is verified, the customer address to a unique address that is unique to a customer VRF function provided by the device,

the customer VRF function being used in the private cloud service, and

output, based on translating the customer address, the data via the unique address; and

provide the customer VRF function to;

receive the data from the NAT function via the unique address, and

route the data to the private cloud service via a secure connection.

9. The device of claim 8, where the data is received from a data center device that receives the data from the user device.

10. The device of claim 8, where the data center VRF function is further to:

compare the customer address to a list of valid Internet protocol (IP) addresses, and

verify that the customer address is associated with the customer that subscribes to the private cloud service when the customer address matches a valid IP address provided in the list of valid IP addresses.

11. The device of claim 8, where the data center VRF function is further to:

prevent the data from being routed to the private cloud service when the customer address is not verified.

12. The device of claim 8, where the data center VRF function is further to:

select the NAT function from one or more NAT functions, provided by the device, based on the customer address.

13. The device of claim 8, where the NAT function is further to:

select the customer VRF function from one or more customer VRF functions, provided by the device, based on the unique address.

14. The device of claim 8, where the data center VRF function connects to a data center device via a single connection and where the data center VRF function is further to:

receive the data from the user device via the data center device and via the single connection.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive data from a user device,

the data being associated with a customer address, and

the customer address being associated with the user device, and

the customer address overlapping with addresses associated with the device;

compare, by a data center virtual route forwarding (VRF) function of the device, the customer address to a list of addresses;

verify, by the data center VRF function of the device, that the customer address is associated with a customer that subscribes to a private cloud service, based on comparing the customer address to the list of addresses;

translate, when the customer address is verified, the customer address to a unique address that is unique to a customer VRF function provided by the device,

the customer VRF function being used in the private cloud service;

select the customer VRF function from one or more customer VRF functions, provided by the device, based on the unique address;

provide the data to the selected customer VRF function via the unique address; and

route the data to the private cloud service via the customer VRF function and a secure connection.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

select a NAT function from one or more NAT functions, provided by the device, based on the customer address, and

utilize the selected NAT function to translate the customer address to the unique address.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

compare the customer address to a list of valid Internet protocol (IP) addresses, and

verify that the customer address is associated with the customer that subscribes to the private cloud service when the customer address matches a valid IP address provided in the list of valid IP addresses.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

prevent the data from being routed to the private cloud service when the customer address is not verified.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

utilize network address translation (NAT) or network address and port translation (NAPT) to translate the customer address to the unique address.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the data center VRF function connects to one or more data center devices via a single connection and where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive the data from the user device via;

the data center VRF function,

one of the one or more data center devices, and

the single connection.