Framework for provisioning network services in cloud computing environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10367701-B2
Application number	US-201615253115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

This disclosure relates generally to provisioning network services in a cloud computing environment, and more particularly to framework for provisioning network services in a heterogeneous cloud computing environment. In one embodiment, the disclosure includes a network as a service (NaaS) layer under a cloud provisioning platform. The NaaS layer can be interfaced with any cloud provisioning platform. The NaaS layer serves the networking needs of the heterogeneous cloud environment. It provides network services like monitoring, notifications, QoS policies, network topology and other services. For example, the cloud provisioning platform defines a virtual network and attaches a plurality of virtual machines to it. All the communications related to creation/deletion/update of virtual networks, virtual subnets, virtual ports, virtual router, virtual interfaces etc., are sent to the NaaS layer. On receiving the communication, the NaaS layer takes necessary steps to provide the network services as per the needs of the request. Apart from provisioning, the NaaS layer periodically monitors the network elements as well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processor-implemented method for provisioning network services in a heterogeneous cloud computing environment, comprising:
receiving, by a cloud provisioning platform, one or more virtual machine provisioning requests from a plurality of cloud administrators, wherein one or more virtual machine provisioning requests are distributed to said cloud provisioning platform via a cloud orchestrator;
assigning of compute and storage resources to one or more virtual machine provisioning requests and generating one or more network service requests for at least one of creation, update, and deletion of at least one of virtual networks, subnets, ports, routers and interfaces by the cloud provisioning platform;
sending the one or more network service requests to a Network as a Service (NaaS) layer by the cloud provisioning platform for provisioning the network services; and
provisioning, by the NaaS layer, a virtual network by configuring an underlying physical network(s), to provide the network services for each of the one or more network service requests, wherein the provisioned virtual network is one of an overlay network or configured underlying physical network, wherein the overlay network is a tunnel network operating on top of the underlying physical network, wherein the underlying physical network is provisioned by configuring underlying physical network elements; wherein the NaaS layer comprises a plurality of interfaces including a north bound interface module, a south bound interface module and an east west interface module for provisioning network services in a cloud system; and wherein the NaaS layer facilitates analysis and data exchange between instances of NaaS layer deployed in one or more clouds and one or more public cloud interfaces in the east west interface module.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the south bound interface module includes a software defined network (SDN) and a non-SDN interface module on the south bound to communicate with corresponding network control or a management system.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the south bound interface module interfaces with the SDN and non-SDN network control and management hardware and software.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the north bound interface module interfaces with the cloud system to provide network services for graphical user interface (GUI) and one or more user applications.

5. The method of claim 1 , the NaaS layer further comprises a network orchestration and intelligence module between the north bound interface module and the south bound interface module, wherein the network orchestration and intelligence module tracks a plurality of switches, inter-switch links and monitors elements of the underlying physical network.

6. A system for provisioning network services in a heterogeneous cloud computing environment, the system comprising:
at least one processor;
a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory includes a Network as a Service (NaaS) layer to:
receive, by a cloud provisioning platform, one or more virtual machine provisioning requests from a plurality of cloud administrators, wherein one or more virtual machine provisioning requests are distributed to said cloud provisioning platform via a cloud orchestrator,
assign of compute and storage resources to one or more virtual machine provisioning requests and generate one or more network service requests for at least one of creation, update, or deletion of at least one of virtual networks, subsets, ports, routers and interfaces by the cloud provisioning platform,
send the one or more network service requests to the NaaS layer by the cloud provisioning platform for provisioning the network services; and
provisioning, by the NaaS layer, a virtual network by configuring an underlying physical network(s), to provide the network services for each of the one or more network service requests, wherein the provisioned virtual network is one of an overlay network or configured underlying physical network, wherein the overlay network is a tunnel network operating on top of the underlying physical network, wherein the underlying physical network is provisioned by configuring underlying physical network elements; wherein the NaaS layer comprises a plurality of interlaces including a north bound interface module, a south bound interface module and an east west interface module for provisioning network services in a cloud system; and wherein the NaaS layer facilitates analysis and information exchange between instances of network as a service layer deployed in one or more clouds and public cloud interfaces in the east west interface module.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the south bound interface module includes a software defined network (SDN) and a non-SDN interface module on the south bound side of the NaaS layer ( 106 ) to communicate with corresponding network control or a management system.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the south bound interface module interfaces with the SDN and non-SDN network control and management hardware and software.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the north bound interface module interfaces with the cloud system to provide network services for graphical user interface (GUI) and one or more user applications.

10. The system as claimed in claim 6 , the NaaS layer further comprises a network orchestration and intelligence module between the north bound interface module and the south bound interface module, wherein the network orchestration and intelligence module tracks a plurality of switches, inter-switch links and monitors elements of the physical network.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a program executable in a computing device for provisioning network services in a heterogeneous cloud computing environment, the program comprising:
a program code for receiving, by a cloud provisioning platform, one or more virtual machine provisioning requests from a plurality of cloud administrators, wherein one or more virtual machine provisioning requests are distributed to said cloud provisioning platform via a cloud orchestrator;
assigning of compute and storage resources to one or more virtual machine provisioning requests and generating one or more network service requests for at least one of creation, update, and deletion of at least one of virtual networks, subnets, ports, routers and interfaces by the cloud provisioning platform;
sending the one or more network service requests to a Network as a Service (NaaS) layer by the cloud provisioning platform for provisioning the network services; and
provisioning, by the NaaS layer, a virtual network by configuring an underlying physical network(s), to provide the network services for each of the one or more network service requests, wherein the provisioned virtual network is one of an overlay network or configured underlying physical network, wherein the overlay network is a tunnel network operating on top of the underlying physical network, wherein the underlying physical network is provisioned by configuring underlying physical network elements; wherein the NaaS layer comprises a plurality of interlaces including a north bound interface module, a south bound interface module and an east west interface module for provisioning network services in a cloud system; and wherein the NaaS layer facilitates analysis and information exchange between instances of network as a service layer deployed in one or more clouds and public cloud interfaces in the east west interface module.

Assignees

• Tata Consultancy Services Ltd

Inventors

• Nadaf Shameemraj M
• Rath Hemant Kumar
• A V Arun Kumar
• Shailendra Samar
• Simha Anantha

Classifications

• H04L41/5051 Primary

  Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time · CPC title

• G06F9/5011

  the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• G06F9/5072

  Grid computing · CPC title

• H04L12/6418

  Hybrid transport · CPC title