Dynamic virtual network function placement for optimal border gateway protocol support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11025528-B1
Application number	US-201916453382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 26, 2019
Priority date	Aug 8, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

Optimization of network-performant-sensitive Internet data traffic for improved performance of network-performant-sensitive applications is provided. A system and method identify an optimal route for data from a client-network to a remote host-network and direct the data along the optimal route. In one implementation, a VNF is configured as a default gateway for the data and is deployed at a strategic location along the optimal route, thus forcing the data on the route. In another implementation, a VNF is deployed on a network and configured as a virtual router. A client network that is provisioned for optimized routing services communicates with the virtual router, wherein the virtual router advertises the optimized route to peers to route the targeted subset of traffic on the optimal route. In another implementation, the system is configured to emulate a router and advertise the optimized route to peers to route the data on the optimal route.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for optimizing network performant-sensitive Internet data traffic between a first host on a client network and a second host on a remote network for improved performance of a network performant-sensitive application, the system comprising an optimized route server, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory storage device including instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to:
receive data from the first host to be directed to the second host on the remote network;
identify an optimal route for directing the data from the first host on the client network to the second host on the remote network;
determine a strategic location along the optimal route for provisioning a default gateway through which to direct the data from the client network to the second host;
deploy a virtual network function (VNF) configured as the default gateway at the determined strategic location;
assign an address of the VNF as the default gateway to direct the data from the client network through the VNF and to the second host, wherein by directing the data through the VNF, the data is directed along the optimal route; and
dynamically modify the optimal route based on data traffic conditions on the identified optimal route.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the data includes network performant-sensitive application data;
the second host is a game server configured to host an online game, wherein the online game is a network performant-sensitive application; and
the first host is configured to establish a connection with the second host as part of interacting with the online game.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein in determining the strategic location, the optimized route server is configured to determine a network resource in a network along the optimal route that forces the data transmitted from the client network onto the optimal route on a next hop.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein in deploying the VNF, the optimized route server is configured to communicate a VNF package to a VNF manager configured to deploy the VNF on the network resource in the network along the optimal route, wherein the VNF package includes metadata and executables to enable deployment of the VNF.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein in identifying the optimal route, the optimized route server is configured to receive the optimal route from a third-party system configured to determine the optimal route.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the optimal route is determined as an optimal route due to at least one of:
low latency;
low packet loss;
low number of hops; and
an inclusion of networks provided by a particular Internet service provider.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optimized route server is further configured to:
identify an updated optimal route for transfer of data from the first host to the second host;
determine an updated strategic location along the updated optimal route for provisioning the default gateway through which to direct the data from the client network to the second host;
deploy a second VNF at the updated strategic location; and
assign an address of the VNF as the default gateway to direct the data from the client network through the VNF and to the second host, wherein by directing the data to the second VNF, the data is directed along the updated optimal route.

8. A system for optimizing network performant-sensitive Internet data traffic between a first host on a client network and a second host on a remote network for improved performance of a network performant-sensitive application, the system comprising an optimized route server, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory storage device including instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, are configured to:
receive data from the first host to be directed to the second host on the remote network;
configure a router in a service provider network to which the client network is communicatively attached, wherein in configuring the router, the optimized route server is configured to:
identify an optimal route for directing the data from the first host on the client network to the second host on the remote network;
determine a strategic location along the optimal route for provisioning a default gateway through which to direct the data from the client network to the second host;
deploy a virtual network function (VNF), at the determined strategic location configured as a virtual router in the service provider network that is communicatively attached to a router in the client network;
configure the virtual router or the emulated router to advertise the optimal route to border gateway protocol (BGP) peers to direct the data from the client network addressed to the second host along the optimal route; and
dynamically modify the optimal route based on data traffic conditions on the identified optimal route.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein in configuring the virtual router or the emulated router to advertise the optimal route to BGP peers, the system is configured to advertise the optimal route to the router in the client network.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein in configuring the virtual router or the emulated router to advertise the optimal route to BGP peers, the system is configured to advertise the optimal route as a default route.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the data includes network performant-sensitive application data;
the second host is a game server configured to host an online game, wherein the online game is a network performant-sensitive application; and
the first host is configured to establish a connection with the second host as part of interacting with the online game.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein in identifying the optimal route, the optimized route server is configured to receive the optimal route from a third-party system configured to determine the optimal route.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the optimal route is determined as an optimal route due to at least one of:
low latency;
low packet loss;
low number of hops; and
an inclusion of networks provided by the service provider.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the optimized route server is further configured to:
identify an updated optimal route for directing data from the first host on the client network to the second host on the remote network; and
configure the virtual router or the emulated router to advertise the updated optimal route to border gateway protocol (BGP) peers to direct the data from the client network addressed to the second host along the optimal route.

15. A method for optimizing network performant-sensitive Internet data traffic between a first host on a client network and a second host on a remote network for improved performance of a network performant-sensitive application, the method comprising:
receive data from the first host to be directed to the second host on the remote network;
identifying an optimal route for directing the data from the first host on the client network to the second host on the remote network;
determining a strategic location along the optimal route for provisioning a default gateway through which to direct the data from the client network to the second host;
deploying a virtual network function (VNF) configured as the default gateway at the determined strategic location;
assigning an address of the VNF as the default gateway to direct the data from the client network through the VNF and to the second host, wherein by directing the data through the VNF, the data is directed along the optima

Assignees

• Cox Communications Inc

Inventors

• Rothschild Keith Alan
• Patel Dipan
• Lev Ron
• Malenfant Steve

Classifications

• G06F2009/45595

  Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances · CPC title

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• H04L45/14 Primary

  Routing performance; Theoretical aspects · CPC title

• H04L45/122 Primary

  by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops · CPC title

• H04L45/586

  of virtual routers · CPC title