Hierarchical network slice selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11146964-B2
Application number	US-201916443818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2019
Priority date	Feb 22, 2019
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for a first network slice selector that assigns data messages to a first set of network slices that each comprises an ordered set of network services. The method receives a data message originating from an electronic endpoint device. A second network slice selector previously (i) assigned the data message to a first network slice of a second set of network slices and, (ii) based on the assignment of the data message to the first network slice, provided the data message to the first network slice selector. The method assigns the data message to a second network slice from the first et of network slices. The method provides the data message to a first network service of the selected second network slice.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for a first network slice selector that assigns data messages to a first plurality of network slices that each comprises an ordered set of network services, the method comprising:
receiving a data message originating from an electronic endpoint device, wherein a second network slice selector previously (i) assigned the data message to a first network slice of a second plurality of network slices and, (ii) based on the assignment of the data message to the first network slice, provided the data message to the first network slice selector;
assigning the data message to a second network slice from the first plurality of network slices; and
providing the data message to a first network service of the selected second network slice.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each network slice of the second plurality of network slices corresponds to a different network slice selector.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the electronic endpoint device is a first electronic endpoint device, wherein when the second network slice selector receives a data message originating from a second electronic endpoint device the second network slice selector assigns the data message from the second electronic endpoint device to a third network slice of the second plurality of network slices, the third network slice corresponding to a third network slice selector.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the third network selector assigns data messages to a third plurality of network slices that each comprises an ordered set of network services.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network slice selector executes in a first datacenter and the second network slice selector executes in a second datacenter.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second network slice selectors execute on different host computers in a same datacenter.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second network slice selectors execute on a same host computer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
after the first network service completes processing of the data message, receiving the data message from the first network service; and
providing the data message to a second network service of the selected second network slice.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network slice selector and the first network service both execute in a first datacenter, the method further comprising:
after the first network service completes processing of the data message, receiving the data message from the first network service; and
providing the data message to a service chaining module that executes in a second datacenter, wherein the service chaining module provides the data message to a second network service of the selected second network slice that also executes in the second datacenter.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network slice selector is configured according to a first configuration defined by a first entity and the second network slice selector is configured according to a second configuration defined by a second entity.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first entity is a tenant of the second entity.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first entity is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses infrastructure of the second entity, wherein the second entity is a mobile network operator (MNO).

13. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a first network slice selector which when executed by at least one processing unit assigns data messages to a first plurality of network slices that each comprises an ordered set of network services, the first network slice selector comprising sets of instructions for:
receiving a data message originating from an electronic endpoint device, wherein a second network slice selector previously (i) assigned the data message to a first network slice of a second plurality of network slices and, (ii) based on the assignment of the data message to the first network slice, provided the data message to the first network slice selector;
assigning the data message to a second network slice from the first plurality of network slices; and
providing the data message to a first network service of the selected second network slice.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein:
each network slice of the second plurality of network slices corresponds to a different network slice selector;
the electronic endpoint device is a first electronic endpoint device;
when the second network slice selector receives a data message originating from a second electronic endpoint device the second network slice selector assigns the data message from the second electronic endpoint device to a third network slice of the second plurality of network slices; and
the third network slice corresponding to a third network slice selector that assigns data messages to a third plurality of network slices that each comprises an ordered set of network services.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first network slice selector further comprises sets of instructions for:
after the first network service completes processing of the data message, receiving the data message from the first network service; and
providing the data message to a second network service of the selected second network slice.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first network slice selector and the first network service both execute in a first datacenter, the first network slice selector further comprising sets of instructions for:
after the first network service completes processing of the data message, receiving the data message from the first network service; and
providing the data message to a service chaining module that executes in a second datacenter, wherein the service chaining module provides the data message to a second network service of the selected second network slice that also executes in the second datacenter.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first network slice selector is configured according to a first configuration defined by a first entity and the second network slice selector is configured according to a second configuration defined by a second entity.

18. A system comprising:
a first computing device executing a first network slice selector that assigns data messages to a first plurality of network slices; and
a second computing device executing a second network slice selector that assigns data messages to a second plurality of network slices that each comprises an ordered set of network services,
wherein:
the first network slice selector receives a data message originating from an endpoint electronic device, assigns the data message to a first network slice of the first plurality of network slices that corresponds to the second network slice selector, and provides the data message to the second network slice selector based on the assignment of the data message to the first network slice; and
the second network slice selector receives the data message from the first network slice selector, assigns the data message to a second network slice of the second plurality of network slices, and provides the data message to a first network service of the selected second network slice.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the first computing device operates in a first datacenter and the second computing device operates in a second datacenter.

20. The system of c

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Bordeleau Marc-Andre
• Kommula Raja
• Tidemann Jeremy
• Polychronopoulos Constantine
• Choh Edward
• Gupta Ojas
• Oikonomou Georgios
• Kidd Robert

Classifications

• H04W16/02 Primary

  Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning · CPC title

• H04W36/12

  Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node · CPC title

• H04W48/18 Primary

  Selecting a network or a communication service · CPC title