End-to-end network service designer tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11005722-B2
Application number	US-201815888371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2018
Priority date	Dec 21, 2017
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A graphical network design and configuration tool provides an administrator graphical user interface (GUI) with icons that represent virtual network elements, physical network elements, and links used to deliver network-based services and associates, via the administrator GUI, the icons with network element properties based on user input. A design GUI is provided including a design canvas to arrange and connect the icons. User input is received via the design GUI to arrange the icons on the design canvas to provide a design for a network-based service. A design template for the network-based service is generated based on the second user input. A configuration GUI solicits location-specific network level attributes for network elements in the design template and creates an instance of the design template based on the network level attributes. Configuration files are automatically generated for the physical network elements represented in the instance of the design template.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing, by one or more computing devices, a first graphical user interface (GUI) with icons that represent virtual network elements, physical network elements, and links used to deliver network-based services, wherein the icons are grouped into different categories in the first GUI;
associating, by the one or more computing devices and via the first GUI, the icons with network properties based on first user input, wherein the network properties correspond to individual virtual network elements and physical network elements of a customer network, and wherein associating the icons with network properties includes:
receiving, via the first GUI, a selection of one of the icons;
providing, via the first GUI, structured input options associated with one of the different categories, wherein, when the selected icon represents a virtual network element, the structured input options include an option to select a vendor that provides the virtual network element; and
receiving, via the first GUI and the structured input options, the network properties for one of the virtual network elements or physical network elements corresponding to the one of the categories represented by the selected icon;

providing, by the one or more computing devices, a second GUI including a design canvas that allows a user to graphically arrange and connect the icons;
receiving, by the one or more computing devices and via the second GUI, second user input to arrange at least some of the icons on the design canvas to provide a design for a network-based service;
generating, by the one or more computing devices and based on the second user input, a design template for the network-based service;
soliciting, by the one or more computing devices and via a third GUI, first network level attributes for the virtual network elements and the physical network elements in the design template, wherein the first network level attributes are associated with a first location;
creating, by the one or more computing devices, an instance of the design template based on the first network level attributes;
generating automatically, by the one or more computing devices, configuration files for the physical network elements represented in the instance of the design template, wherein the instance of the design template and the configuration files are used for automatically deploying and configuring a network for the network-based service.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first user input is imported from a data file of multiple network elements.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the network properties include network service descriptors (NSD), virtual network function descriptors (VNFD), deployment descriptors, virtual network functions forwarding graph (VNFFG) information, link descriptors, and policy information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the design template for the network-based service includes Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications (TOSCA) templates.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the design template associated with a particular customer.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
soliciting via the third GUI, second network level attributes for network elements in the design template, wherein the second network level attributes are associated with a second location; and
creating another instance of the design template based on the second network level attributes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the associating further comprises:
providing, via the first GUI, structured input options to receive equipment identifiers; and
validating that equipment associated with the equipment identifiers is compatible with the design for the network-based service.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing devices include a network services orchestrator device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing devices include an orchestrator device for each of multiple domains.

10. One or more devices comprising:
a communication interface;
a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to:
provide a first graphical user interface (GUI) with icons that represent virtual network elements, physical network elements, and links used to deliver network-based services, wherein the icons are grouped into different categories in the first GUI,
associate, via the first GUI, the icons with network properties based on first user input, wherein the network properties correspond to individual virtual network elements and physical network elements of a customer network, wherein, when associating the icons with network properties, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
receive, via the first GUI, a selection of one of the icons;
provide, via the first GUI, structured input options associated with one of the different categories, wherein, when the selected icon represents a virtual network element, the structured input options include an option to select a vendor that provides the virtual network element; and
receive, via the first GUI and the structured input options, the network properties for one of the virtual network elements or physical network elements corresponding to the one of the categories represented by the selected icon;

provide a second GUI including a design canvas that allows a user to graphically arrange and connect the icons,
receive, via the second GUI, second user input to arrange at least some of the icons on the design canvas to provide a design for a network-based service,
generate, based on the second user input, a design template for the network-based service,
solicit, via a third GUI, first network level attributes for the virtual network elements and the physical network elements in the design template, wherein the first network level attributes are associated with a first location,
create an instance of the design template based on the first network level attributes, and
generate automatically configuration files for the physical network elements represented in the instance of the design template, wherein the instance of the design template and the configuration files are used for automatically deploying and configuring a network for the network-based service.

11. The one or more devices of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
store, in the memory, the design template associated with a particular customer.

12. The one or more devices of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
solicit via the third GUI, second network level attributes for network elements in the design template, wherein the second network level attributes are associated with a second location; and
create another instance of the design template based on the second network level attributes.

13. The one or more devices of claim 10 , wherein the design template for the network-based service uses a data modeling language including one or more of Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications (TOSCA) or YANG protocols.

14. The one or more devices of claim 10 , wherein the one or more devices communicate, via the communication interface, with a network services orchestrator device for end-to-end orchestration.

15. The one or more devices of claim 10 , wherein the first user input is imported from a data file of multiple network elements.

16. The one or more devices of claim 10 , wherein the one or more device

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Valisammagari Srilakshmi Reddy
• Kumar Mukesh
• Narayan Ganesh
• Ranade Sanjay Ravindra
• Gopal Chetan B
• Kapoor Amit
• Parekh Viraj
• Kuppa Shrinath

Classifications

• H04L41/40

  using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities · CPC title

• H04L41/14

  Network analysis or design · CPC title

• H04L41/5045

  Making service definitions prior to deployment · CPC title

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• H04L41/145 Primary

  involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network · CPC title