Software-defined networking interface between multiple platform managers

• US 9,270,612 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeCusatis, Casimer M., Krishnamurthy, Rajaram B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michael Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): McBeth, William C
• Application Number:
  US14/105,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• 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 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a software-defined networking (SDN) interface between multiple platform managers. An aspect is a computer-implemented method for receiving, at an SDN controller of a network, provisioning data from a first network provisioning application associated with a first platform manager of a first computing platform. Provisioning data are received at the SDN controller from a second network provisioning application associated with a second platform manager of a second computing platform. The SDN controller compares the provisioning data from the first network provisioning application to the provisioning data from the second network provisioning application to identify provisioning issues. The SDN controller determines a modified provisioning that resolves the provisioning issues. The SDN controller configures the network to comply with the modified provisioning. The modified provisioning is reported to the first and second network provisioning applications.

Claims

1. A system for a software-defined networking (SDN) interface between multiple platform managers, the system comprising:

an SDN controller configured to interface with a first computing platform, a second computing platform, and a plurality of switches in a network, the first computing platform comprising a first platform manager, a first network provisioning application, and a first network policy defined to accommodate a first computing resource allocation of the first platform manager, the second computing platform comprising a second platform manager, a second network provisioning application, a second network policy defined to accommodate a second computing resource allocation of the second platform manager, and the SDN controller comprising processing circuitry configured to perform a method comprising;

receiving, at the SDN controller, provisioning data from the first network provisioning application based on the first network policy;

receiving, at the SDN controller, provisioning data from the second network provisioning application based on the second network policy;

comparing, by the SDN controller, the provisioning data from the first network provisioning application to the provisioning data from the second network provisioning application to identify provisioning issues;

determining, by the SDN controller, a modified provisioning that resolves the provisioning issues;

configuring the network, by the SDN controller, to comply with the modified provisioning;

reporting the modified provisioning to the first and second network provisioning applications to modify the first computing resource allocation according to a modification of the first network policy based on the modified provisioning and modify the second computing resource allocation according to a modification of the second network policy based on the modified provisioning;

applying, by the SDN controller, plurality of time-based rules from a match action table to shift data flow bandwidth between the first computing platform and the second computing platform based on expected shifts in peak operating demands;

receiving network traffic performance metrics at the SDN controller;

determining, by the SDN controller, whether network topology updates are needed based on the network traffic performance metrics;

updating the modified provisioning, be the SDN controller, based on determining that updates to the network topology are needed; and

adjusting the match action table based on the network traffic performance metrics.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the provisioning issues include allocating a same link in the network by both the first and second network provisioning applications.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the provisioning issues include allocating at least one network resource beyond a capability supported by the network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein configuring the network further comprises:

updating the network topology, by the SDN controller, to align with the modified provisioning;

translating updates to the network topology into one or more flow tables; and

loading the one or more flow tables into one or more associated switches in the network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the SDN controller is further configured to perform:

identifying one or more network provisioning applications impacted by the update of the modified provisioning; and

reporting the update of the modified provisioning to the one or more impacted network provisioning applications.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the modified provisioning comprises pooling and virtualization of network resources.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing platform is further configured to perform:

providing the provisioning data to the SDN controller;

receiving the modified provisioning from the SDN controller;

modifying the first network policy of the first platform manager based on the modified provisioning; and

performing a modification of the first computing resource allocation of the first computing platform by the first platform manager according to the modified network policy as one of a processing resource and memory allocation adjustment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the provisioning data from the first and second network provisioning applications comprises one or more of:

a provisioning for network layer-2 attributes;

a provisioning for network layer-3 attributes;

a provisioning for network security profiles;

a provisioning for network traffic on specific links to support redundancy; and

a provisioning for network traffic on specific links to support load balancing.