Apparatus and method for accessing a back-end service

• US 9,985,881 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2017
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maria, Arturo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Detse, Kokou R
• Application Number:
  US15/434,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 370254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a first network element in local communication with a gateway of a core network portion of a mobility network. Establishment of a first logical network connection is facilitated between the first network element and a second network element in local communication with a remotely accessible system, such as a back-end system of an enterprise data center or cloud service provider. A request from a mobile device serviced by the mobility network is detected for access to a service of the remotely accessible system. The request and/or a translation of the request is forwarded to the second network element by way of the first logical network connection. The second network element forwards the translated request to the remotely accessible system. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

facilitating a first logical network connection between a first network element in local communication with a gateway of an evolved packet core of a long-term evolution network and a second network element in local communication with a remotely accessible system;

detecting a request for access by a mobile device to an application of the remotely accessible system, wherein the request is received from the gateway of the evolved packet core by way of a low-level interface of the gateway; and

forwarding the request to the second network element by way of the first logical network connection, wherein the second network element forwards the request to the remotely accessible system.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a text message by way of a short message service directed to the first network element, and wherein the operations further comprise:

interpreting the text message to generate an interpretation of the text message;

identifying the remotely accessible system based on one of an identity of the mobile device, the interpretation of the text message or both; and

identifying the second network element based on the remotely accessible system.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by way of the first logical network connection, a reply from the remotely accessible system, wherein the reply is generated responsive to receipt of the request by the remotely accessible system; and

forwarding the reply to the gateway of the evolved packet core for delivery to the mobile device by way of the long-term evolution network.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the reply is directed to the first network element, and wherein forwarding of the reply comprises forwarding the reply by way of the short message service, wherein the request initiated by the mobile device is serviced by the application of the remotely accessible system without requiring a mobile client application and without requiring a middleware server.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first network element comprises a first software defined network element, and wherein the operations further comprise determining from network performance information of a network carrier, a change in network conditions, wherein the first software defined network element is created dynamically in response to the determining of the change in network conditions.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising enforcing a security protocol between the first network element and the second network element.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the request comprises receiving the request from the gateway of the evolved packet core by way of the low-level interface of the gateway without layers five through seven of a seven-layer open systems interconnection model, and wherein the application comprises a business application based on one of accounting, distribution, production, procurement, sales, customer service, corporate performance, governance, human resources, of any combination thereof.

8. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

facilitating a first logical network connection between a first network element in local communication with equipment of a core network of a mobility network and a second network element in local communication with a remotely accessible system;

identifying a first message comprising a request for access by a mobile device to an application of the remotely accessible system, wherein the request is received from the equipment of the core network by way of a low-level interface; and

forwarding a second message comprising the request to the second network element by way of the first logical network connection, wherein the second network element forwards the second message to the remotely accessible system by way of an application programming interface.

9. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the first message from a client application hosted on the mobile device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

interpreting the first message to generate an interpretation of the first message;

identifying the remotely accessible system based on one of an identity of the mobile device, the interpretation of the first message or both; and

identifying the second network element based on the remotely accessible system.

10. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by way of the first logical network connection, a reply from the remotely accessible system, wherein the reply is generated responsive to receipt of the second message by the remotely accessible system; and

forwarding the reply to equipment of the mobility network to deliver the reply to the mobile device.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the reply is directed to the first network element, and wherein forwarding of the reply comprises forwarding the reply by way of the client application.

12. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first network element comprises a first network element, and wherein the operations further comprise creating the first network element during a provisioning of network service.

13. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising enforcing a security protocol between the first network element and the second network element.

14. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the identifying of the request comprises receiving the request from a gateway of the core network by way of the low-level interface of the gateway, and wherein the application comprises a business application based on one of accounting, distribution, production, procurement, sales, customer service, corporate performance, governance, human resources, of any combination thereof.

15. A method, comprising:

facilitating, by a processing system including a processor, a plurality of logical network connections between a plurality of network elements at premises of a network carrier and a plurality of network elements in local communication with a plurality of back-end servers at enterprise premises;

receiving, by the processing system, a request initiated by a mobile device serviced by the network carrier for access to an application of a particular back-end server of the plurality of back-end servers, wherein the request is received from a network element of the plurality of network elements by way of a low-level interface;

determining, by the processing system, a location of the particular back-end server of the plurality of back-end servers; and

forwarding, by the processing system, the request to the network element by way of a logical network connection of the plurality of logical network connections corresponding to the location of the particular back-end server, wherein the network element forwards the request to the particular back-end server of the plurality of back-end servers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a text message by way of a short message service directed to a particular network element of the plurality of network elements, by way of a short messages service short code, the method further comprising:

interpreting, by the processing system, the text message to generate an interpretation of the text message;

identifying, by the processing system, the location of the particular back-end server based on one of an identity of the mobile device, an identity of a user of the mobile device, the interpretation of the text message or a combination thereof; and

identifying, by the processing system, the network element based on the location of the particular back-end server of the plurality of back-end servers.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing system, by way of a logical network connection of the plurality of logical network connections, a reply from the particular back-end server of the plurality of back-end servers, wherein the reply is generated responsive to receipt of the request by the particular back-end server of the plurality of back-end servers; and

forwarding, by the processing system, the reply to equipment at the premises of the network carrier to deliver the reply to the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the particular network element comprises a particular software defined network element, the method further comprising:

determining, by the processing system, a change in network conditions; and

creating, by the processing system, the particular software defined network element of the plurality of network elements being created dynamically in response to the determining of the change in network conditions.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the reply is directed to the particular network element of the plurality of network elements, and wherein forwarding of the reply comprises forwarding the reply by way of the short message service, wherein the request initiated by the mobile device is serviced by the particular back-end server of the plurality of back-end servers without requiring a mobile client application and without requiring a middleware server.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving of the request comprises receiving the request from a gateway of the premises of the network carrier by way of the low-level interface of the gateway, and wherein the application comprises a business application based on one of accounting, distribution, production, procurement, sales, customer service, corporate performance, governance, human resources, of any combination thereof.