Method and apparatus for provisioning virtual network functions from a network service provider

• US 9,936,047 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2016
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Adolph, Stephen Kieran, Gazier, Michael Alain, Duncan, Ian Hamish, Frodsham, James Andrew, Fluet, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US15/361,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45562 Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• 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 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• 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 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus facilitates an enterprise to lease virtual appliances from network services provider. The method operates by deploying a converged networking and computing device at a service location, downloading a virtual network function to the converged networking and computing device, activating the virtual network function by a service in the wide area network, and connecting the virtual network function to a provisioned network path over the wide area network. Different virtual network functions can be deployed to different locations. The same virtual network function scan be deployed to different locations. Moreover, more than one virtual network function may be deployed to more than one service location. The virtual network functions can be realized through virtual machines, software containers, etc.

Claims

1. A method for deployment by a wide area service provider of one or more virtual network functions via a wide area network, the method comprising:

responsive to a request for one or more virtual network functions at a computing device deployed at a service location with a provisioned network path in the wide area network to an end point location, reconfiguring the provisioned network path to a temporary network path which connects to a library located separate from the end point location;

receiving the one or more virtual network functions at the computing device over the temporary network path;

activating the one or more virtual network functions in the wide area network; and

reconfiguring the temporary network path back to the provisioned network path and connecting the one or more virtual network functions thereto.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more virtual network functions are implemented as one or more virtual machines.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more virtual network functions are implemented as one or more software containers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the library contains a plurality of virtual network functions comprising the one or more virtual network functions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein activating comprises booting and configuring one or more virtual machines or software containers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the library comprises one or more network-connected storage devices located remote from the service location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a hypervisor and a plurality of virtual machines thereon.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more virtual network functions are operated in a distributed network functions virtualization infrastructure at a customer premises, and the method further comprising:

providing a distributed agent to the customer premises for management and orchestration of the one or more virtual network functions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the distributed agent is configured to perform any of management of the one or more virtual network functions, service chaining of the one or more virtual network functions, image and file management for the one or more virtual network functions, and monitoring of events related to the one or more virtual network functions at the customer premises.

10. A library in a wide area network for deployment of one or more virtual network functions, the library comprising:

one or more network-connected storage devices containing a plurality of virtual network functions; and

one or more connections to the wide area network from the one or more network-connected storage devices,

wherein, responsive to a request for one or more virtual network functions from a computing device deployed at a service location with a provisioned network path in the wide area network to an end point location, the provisioned network path is reconfigured to a temporary network path which connects to the library via the one or more connections, wherein the library is located separate from the end point location;

wherein the one or more network-connected storage devices are configured to transmit the one or more virtual network functions to the computing device over the temporary network path, cause activation of the one or more virtual network functions in the wide area network, and cause the temporary network path to be reconfigured back to the provisioned network path for connecting the one or more virtual network functions thereto.

11. The library of claim 10, wherein the one or more virtual network functions are implemented as one or more virtual machines.

12. The library of claim 10, wherein the one or more virtual network functions are implemented as one or more software containers.

13. The library of claim 10, wherein the activation comprises booting and configuring one or more virtual machines or software containers.

14. The library of claim 10, wherein the one or more network-connected storage devices are located remote from the service location.

15. The library of claim 10, wherein the computing device comprises a hypervisor and a plurality of virtual machines thereon.

16. The library of claim 10, wherein the one or more virtual network functions are operated in a distributed network functions virtualization infrastructure at a customer premises, and wherein a distributed agent is provided to the customer premises for management and orchestration of the one or more virtual network functions.

17. The library of claim 16, wherein the distributed agent is configured to perform any of management of the one or more virtual network functions, service chaining of the one or more virtual network functions, image and file management for the one or more virtual network functions, and monitoring of events related to the one or more virtual network functions at the customer premises.

18. A wide area network for deployment of one or more virtual network functions, the wide area network comprising:

one or more service locations each with a provisioned network path in the wide area network to an end point location; and

a library connected to the wide area network, wherein the library comprises a plurality of virtual network functions,

wherein, responsive to a request for one or more virtual network functions from a computing device deployed at the one or more service locations, the provisioned network path is reconfigured to a temporary network path which connects to the library, wherein the library is located separate from the end point location;

wherein the library is configured to transmit the one or more virtual network functions to the computing device over the temporary network path, cause activation of the one or more virtual network functions in the wide area network, and cause the temporary network path to be reconfigured back to the provisioned network path for connecting the one or more virtual network functions thereto.

19. The wide area network of claim 18, wherein the one or more virtual network functions are implemented as one or more virtual machines.

20. The wide area network of claim 18, wherein the one or more virtual network functions are implemented as one or more software containers.