Virtualization of networking services

• US 9,503,354 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aerohive Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mower, Carl Steven, Palmer, Matthew Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beyen, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US12/357,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20090185500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,862 Days
• Field of Search: 370/250, 370/254
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A method of configuring a virtual network comprises: running a user-interactive business requirements wizard from a server, the wizard collecting business requirements from a user; translating the business requirements into technical requirements for a network configuration using the server; selecting a network configuration from a network configuration database using the server, the selecting utilizing the technical requirements; testing the network configuration using a processor; monitoring the testing and generating new facts regarding performance of the network configuration, using the processor; feeding back the new facts to the server for use by the server in the selecting; and repeating the selecting, testing, monitoring and generating, and feeding back, until the server determines a criterion for network stability has been reached. The method may include automatically discovering local network characteristics using a networking device, prior to the selecting, sending the characteristics to the server for use by the server in the selecting.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a virtual network comprising:

running a user-interactive business requirements wizard from a server, said wizard collecting business requirements from a user by querying the user with progressive questions in a language of the business requirements, said business requirements used in configuring said virtual network;

translating said business requirements into technical requirements for said virtual network using said server, said virtual network including a plurality of virtualized appliances;

automatically discovering local network characteristics using a physical network device, the physical network device including a processor;

providing said local network characteristics to said server;

selecting a virtual network configuration for the plurality of virtualized appliances from a network configuration database using said server, said selecting utilizing said technical requirements and the local network characteristics provided to said server;

testing behavior of said virtual network configuration, using a processor of said server, by simulating said virtual network;

monitoring said testing and generating from said testing new facts regarding performance of said virtual network configuration, using said processor of said server;

feeding back said new facts to said server for use by said server in said selecting;

repeating said selecting, testing, monitoring and generating, and feeding back, until said server determines a criterion for virtual network stability has been reached;

managing the plurality of virtual appliances using virtualized network management.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining user technical requirements for said virtual network by said user;

receiving said user technical requirements at said server for use in said selecting.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising notifying a network administrator when said virtual network configuration satisfies said criterion.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein a local network characteristic of the local network characteristics includes a speed of an Internet uplink.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein said virtual network configuration includes a portion for monitoring performance of said virtual network configuration.

6. A method as in claim 5, further comprising collecting statistics to optimize said virtual network configuration.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein said selecting includes selecting multiple virtual network configurations and said testing includes testing said multiple virtual network configurations.

8. A method as in claim 1, further comprising generating a graphical user interface using said server, said graphical user interface displaying said business requirements wizard for said user.

9. A method as in claim 1, further comprising regression testing of a selected virtual network configuration.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein said business requirements wizard includes a progressive set of questions to identify technical solutions that satisfy said business requirements of said user.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein said virtual network configuration is a proven configuration, said proven configuration being a configuration tested and proven in real-world networks.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein said server includes a virtual server.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein said virtual network includes said virtual server.

14. A method as in claim 1, wherein a virtualized appliance of the plurality of virtualized appliances is a virtual representation of said physical network device.

15. A method as in claim 1, wherein said virtual network configuration is simulated by a plurality of virtual servers, said testing being of said simulated virtual network configuration.

16. A method as in claim 1, wherein the progressive questions do not require the user to understand said technical requirements for said virtual network corresponding to said business requirements.

17. A non-transitory server comprising computer-executable instructions for:

running a user-interactive business requirements wizard from said server, said wizard collecting business requirements from a user by querying the user with progressive questions in a language of the business requirements, said business requirements used in configuring a virtual network;

translating said business requirements into technical requirements for said virtual network using said server, said virtual network including a plurality of virtualized appliances;

automatically discovering local network characteristics using a physical network device;

providing said local network characteristics to said server;

selecting a virtual network configuration for the plurality of virtualized appliances from a network configuration database using said server, said selecting utilizing said technical requirements and the local network characteristics provided to said server;

testing behavior of said virtual network configuration, using a processor of said server, by simulating said virtual network;

monitoring said testing and generating from said testing new facts regarding performance of said virtual network configuration, using said server;

feeding back said new facts to said server for use by said server in said selecting;

repeating said selecting, testing, monitoring and generating, and feeding back, until said server determines a criterion for virtual network stability has been reached;

managing the plurality of virtual appliances using virtualized network management.