Distributed software defined networking

• US 10,686,871 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2017
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EDGE NETWORKING SYSYEMS LLC
• Original Assignee: Big Data Federation, Inc.
• Inventors: Taaghol, Pouya, Ramanna, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Higa, Brendan Y
• Application Number:
  US15/836,824
• Time in Patent Office: 920 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45575 Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45587 Isolation or security of virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0833 for reduction of network energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/563 Software download or update
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0218 : Distributed architectures, e.g. distributed firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 : Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• 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 67/1076 : Resource dissemination mechanisms or network resource keeping policies for optimal resource availability in the overlay network
• 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 9/0822 : using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

The Distributed Software Defined Network (dSDN) disclosed herein is an end-to-end architecture that enables secure and flexible programmability across a network with full lifecycle management of services and infrastructure applications (fxDeviceApp). The dSDN also harmonizes application deployment across the network independent of the hardware vendor. As a result, the dSDN simplifies the network deployment lifecycle from concept to design to implementation to decommissioning.

Claims

1. A system for processing data packets in a network, the system comprising:

a programmable network device hosting a plurality of first network applications;

a programmable cloud device hosting a plurality of second network applications, wherein at least one of the plurality of first network applications in the programmable network device and at least one of the plurality of second network applications in the programmable cloud device are in secure communication with each other through a virtual fabric to form a distributed application;

wherein the programmable network device and programmable cloud device are each powered by a sandboxing operating system which facilitates deployment of the plurality of first and second network applications;

an application management portal coupled to the programmable network device and programmable cloud device and capable of managing upgrades of the first and second network applications with substantially no interruption to operation of the programmable network device and programmable cloud device;

wherein the application management portal verifies authenticity of the upgrades to the plurality of first network applications and the plurality of second network applications and wherein the verification is based on unique security keys associated with each of the plurality of first and second network applications;

an application repository coupled to the application management portal and capable of storing distributed applications for installation in the programmable network device and programmable cloud device; and

wherein the application management portal further manages usage of the distributed applications on the programmable network device and programmable cloud device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the programmable network device and programmable cloud device include an access network interface unit to send and receive communications and a processor with a memory associated with the network interface unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmable network device is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved NodeB (eNB) and the programmable cloud device hosts LTE core network functions in separate virtual machines, the network functions consisting of:

Mobility Management Entity (MME), Serving Gateway (S-GW), and Packet Gateway (P-GW).

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second programmable network device which includes the at least one of the plurality of first network applications which is in the first programmable network device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmable network device and programmable cloud device further comprise:

a distributed content service wherein content generated by the at least one of the plurality of first network applications may be shared though the virtual fabric with the at least one of a plurality of second network applications.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmable network device and programmable cloud device further comprise:

a distributed notification service wherein notice of a particular event is sent through the virtual fabric from at least one of the plurality of first network applications to at least one of the plurality of second network applications.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a load controller adapted to monitor loads on the programmable network device and the programmable cloud device and affect change in accordance with thresholds received from the application management portal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the programmable network device, at least one of the plurality of first network applications, the programmable cloud device, and at least one of the plurality of second network applications each have unique identities.

9. A system for processing data packets, the system comprising:

a programmable network device processing data flows hosting at least one of a plurality of first network applications;

a programmable cloud device having a plurality of virtual machines wherein at least one of the virtual machines hosts at least one of a plurality of second network applications, wherein the at least one of the plurality of first and the at least one of the plurality of second network applications are in secure communication through a virtual fabric to form a distributed application;

wherein the programmable network device and programmable cloud device are each powered by a sandboxing operation system which facilitates deployment of the plurality of first and second network applications;

an application management portal coupled to the programmable network device and programmable cloud device and capable of manacling upgrades of the first and second network applications with substantially no interruption to operation of the programmable network device and programmable cloud device;

wherein the application management portal verifies authenticity of the upgrades to the plurality of first network applications and the plurality of second network applications and wherein the verification is based on unique security keys associated with each of the plurality of first and second network applications;

an application repository storing distributed applications for installation in the programmable network device and programmable cloud device; and

wherein the application management portal further manages provisioning, usage and de-provisioning of the distributed applications on the programmable network device and programmable cloud device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the programmable network device is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved NodeB (eNB) and the programmable cloud device hosts LTE core network functions in separate virtual machines, the network functions consisting of:

Mobility Management Entity (MME), Serving Gateway (S-GW), and Packet Gateway (P-GW).

11. A system for processing data packets in a network, the system comprising:

a programmable network device processing data flows, hosting at least one of a plurality of first network applications;

a programmable cloud device partitioned into a plurality of zones, wherein at least one of the plurality of zones hosts at least one of a plurality of second network applications, wherein the at least one of the plurality of first network applications and at least one of the plurality of second network applications are in secure communication through a virtual fabric to form a distributed application;

wherein the programmable network device and programmable cloud device are each powered by a sandboxing operation system which facilitates deployment of the plurality of first and second network applications;

an application management portal coupled to the programmable network device and programmable cloud device and capable of manacling upgrades of the first and second network applications with substantially no interruption to operation of the programmable network device and programmable cloud device

wherein the application management portal verifies authenticity and integrity of upgrades to the plurality of first network applications and the plurality of second network applications and wherein the verification is based on unique security keys associated with each of the plurality of first and second network applications;

an application repository storing distributed applications which have been tested for installation in the programmable network device and programmable cloud device; and

wherein the application management portal further manages usage of the distributed applications on the programmable network device and programmable cloud device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the programmable network device is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved NodeB (eNB) and the programmable cloud device hosts LTE core network functions in separate virtual machines, the network functions consisting of:

Mobility Management Entity (MME), Serving Gateway (S-GW), and Packet Gateway (P-GW).