Network functions virtualization interconnection gateway
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- receiving, with an interconnection gateway device within a first network and from one or more internal network functions virtualization (“
NFV”
) entities, a first set of network connection information, each of the one or more internal NFV entities being located within the first network;
receiving, with the interconnection gateway device and from one or more external NFV entities, a second set of network connection information, each of the one or more external NFV entities being located within a second network external to the first network;
abstracting, with the interconnection gateway device, the first set of network connection information to generate a first set of abstracted network connection information;
abstracting, with the interconnection gateway device, the second set of network connection information to generate a second set of abstracted network connection information, wherein each of the first set of abstracted network connection information and the second set of abstracted network connection information is abstracted such that the first set of abstracted network connection information and the second set of abstracted network connection information become independent of any particular NFV entity in any network;
establishing, with the interconnection gateway device, one or more links between each of the one or more internal NFV entities and each corresponding one of the one or more external NFV entities, based at least in part on one or more of the first set of abstracted network connection information or the second set of abstracted network connection information; and
providing access to one or more virtualized network functions (“
VNFs”
) via the one or more links.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing interconnection gateway and/or hub functionalities between two or more network functions virtualization (“NFV”) entities that are located in different networks. In some embodiments, a NFV interconnection gateway (“NFVIG”) might receive a set of network interconnection information from each of two or more sets of NFV entities, each set of NFV entities being located within a network separate from the networks in which the other sets of NFV entities are located. The NFVIG might be located in one of these networks. The NFVIG might abstract each set of network interconnection information, and might establish one or more links between the two or more sets of NFV entities, based at least in part on the abstracted sets of network interconnection information. The NFVIG might provide access to one or more virtualized network functions (“VNFs”) via the one or more links.
70 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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receiving, with an interconnection gateway device within a first network and from one or more internal network functions virtualization (“
NFV”
) entities, a first set of network connection information, each of the one or more internal NFV entities being located within the first network;receiving, with the interconnection gateway device and from one or more external NFV entities, a second set of network connection information, each of the one or more external NFV entities being located within a second network external to the first network; abstracting, with the interconnection gateway device, the first set of network connection information to generate a first set of abstracted network connection information; abstracting, with the interconnection gateway device, the second set of network connection information to generate a second set of abstracted network connection information, wherein each of the first set of abstracted network connection information and the second set of abstracted network connection information is abstracted such that the first set of abstracted network connection information and the second set of abstracted network connection information become independent of any particular NFV entity in any network; establishing, with the interconnection gateway device, one or more links between each of the one or more internal NFV entities and each corresponding one of the one or more external NFV entities, based at least in part on one or more of the first set of abstracted network connection information or the second set of abstracted network connection information; and providing access to one or more virtualized network functions (“
VNFs”
) via the one or more links. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system, comprising:
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an interconnection gateway device located within a first network, the interconnection gateway device comprising; at least one first processor; at least one first data storage device in communication with the at least one first processor, the at least one first data storage device having data stored thereon; at least one first non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one first processor and with the at least one first data storage device, the at least one first non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a first set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, causes the interconnection gateway device to perform one or more functions; one or more internal network functions virtualization (“
NFV”
) entities located within the first network, each of the one or more internal NFV entities comprising;at least one second processor; at least one second data storage device in communication with the at least one second processor, the at least one second data storage device having data stored thereon; at least one second non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one second processor and with the at least one second data storage device, the at least one second non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a second set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, causes the internal NFV entity to perform one or more functions, the second set of instructions comprising; instructions for sending a first set of network connection information to the interconnection gateway device; one or more external NFV entities located within a second network that is external to the first network, each of the one or more external NFV entities comprising; at least one third processor; at least one third data storage device in communication with the at least one third processor, the at least one third data storage device having data stored thereon; at least one third non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one third processor and with the at least one third data storage device, the at least one third non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a third set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one third processor, causes the external NFV entity to perform one or more functions, the third set of instructions comprising; instructions for sending a second set of network connection information to the interconnection gateway device; wherein the first set of instructions comprises; instructions for receiving, from the one or more internal NFV entities, the first set of network connection information; instructions for receiving, from the one or more external NFV entities, the second set of network connection information; instructions for abstracting the first set of network connection information to generate a first set of abstracted network connection information; instructions for abstracting the second set of network connection information to generate a second set of abstracted network connection information, wherein each of the first set of abstracted network connection information and the second set of abstracted network connection information is abstracted to be such that the first set of abstracted network connection information and the second set of abstracted network connection information become independent of any particular NFV entity in any network; instructions for establishing one or more links between each of the one or more internal NFV entities and each corresponding one of the one or more external NFV entities, based at least in part on one or more of the first set of abstracted network connection information or the second set of abstracted network connection information; and instructions for providing access to one or more virtualized network functions (“
VNFs”
) via the one or more links;wherein the second set of instructions further comprises; instructions for accessing, sending, or receiving the one or more VNFs via the one or more links; wherein the third set of instructions further comprises; instructions for accessing, receiving, or sending the one or more VNFs via the one or more links. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An interconnection gateway device, comprising:
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at least one processor; at least one data storage device in communication with the at least one processor, the at least one data storage device having data stored thereon; and at least one non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one processor and the at least one data storage device, the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the interconnection gateway device to perform one or more functions, the set of instructions comprising; instructions for receiving, from one or more internal network functions virtualization (“
NFV”
) entities, a first set of network connection information, each of the one or more internal NFV entities being located within the first network in which the interconnection gateway device is located;instructions for receiving, from one or more external NFV entities, a second set of network connection information, each of the one or more external NFV entities being located within a second network external to the first network; instructions for abstracting the first set of network connection information to generate a first set of abstracted network connection information; instructions for abstracting the second set of network connection information to generate a second set of abstracted network connection information, wherein each of the first set of abstracted network connection information and the second set of abstracted network connection information is abstracted such that the first set of abstracted network connection information and the second set of abstracted network connection information become independent of any particular NFV entity in any network; instructions for establishing one or more links between each of the one or more internal NFV entities and each corresponding one of the one or more external NFV entities, based at least in part on one or more of the first set of abstracted network connection information or the second set of abstracted network connection information; and instructions for providing access to one or more virtualized network functions (“
VNFs”
) via the one or more links. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification