Inter-metro connectivity network connect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11228641-B1
Application number	US-202016947614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 10, 2020
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

In general, techniques are described for dynamically programming a cloud-based service exchange to enable connections from an enterprise buyer in one metropolitan area to connect to a cloud exchange in another metropolitan area. For example, a network data center includes a programmable network platform to receive an indication of a network service provider (NSP) configured to transport traffic to a customer in a second metropolitan area; provision a virtual circuit from a customer-facing port of a cloud-based services exchange point of the second metropolitan area to the NSP; receive a service request that specifies one or more cloud services provided by one or more cloud service provider networks of the first metropolitan area operated by the respective cloud service providers; and configure access to the one or more cloud services provided by one or more cloud service provider networks via the virtual circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a customer device and from a programmable network platform for a cloud based services exchange point of a first metropolitan area and a cloud based services exchange point of a second metropolitan area, one or more selectable options to connect to a network service provider (NSP) configured to transport traffic from the first metropolitan area to the second metropolitan area, wherein a first virtual circuit is provisioned by the programmable network platform from a port of a cloud-based services exchange point of the first metropolitan area to the NSP, and a second virtual circuit is provisioned by the programmable network platform from a port of a cloud-based services exchange point of the second metropolitan area to the NSP;
selecting, by the customer device and from the programmable network platform, the NSP to connect the customer device of the first metropolitan area to one or more cloud service provider networks of the second metropolitan area; and
responsive to selecting the NSP, accessing, by the customer device of the first metropolitan area, the one or more cloud services of the second metropolitan area via the NSP and the first and second virtual circuits provisioned by the programmable network platform to interconnect the NSP to the first metropolitan area and the second metropolitan area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the NSP comprises selecting the first virtual circuit and the second virtual circuit to connect the customer device of the first metropolitan area to the one or more cloud service provider networks of the second metropolitan area network via the NSP and the first and second virtual circuits.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein selecting the NSP comprises selecting the NSP based on at least one of bandwidth, service-level agreements, quality, performance, or price of the NSP.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second virtual circuits are pre-provisioned by the programmable network platform prior to selecting the NSP.

5. A device comprising:
at least one computer processor; and
a memory comprising instructions that when executed by the at least one computer processor cause the at least one computer processor to:
receive, from a programmable network platform for a cloud based services exchange point of a first metropolitan area including the device and a cloud based services exchange point of a second metropolitan area, one or more selectable options to connect to a network service provider (NSP) configured to transport traffic from the first metropolitan area to the second metropolitan area, wherein a first virtual circuit is provisioned by the programmable network platform from a port of a cloud-based services exchange point of the first metropolitan area to the NSP, and a second virtual circuit is provisioned by the programmable network platform from a port of a cloud-based services exchange point of the second metropolitan area to the NSP;
select, from the programmable network platform, the NSP to connect the device of the first metropolitan area to one or more cloud service provider networks of the second metropolitan area; and
responsive to selecting the NSP, access the one or more cloud services of the second metropolitan area via the NSP and the first and second virtual circuits provisioned by the programmable network platform to interconnect the NSP to the first metropolitan area and the second metropolitan area.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein, to select the NSP, the instructions cause the at least one computer processor to:
select the first virtual circuit and the second virtual circuit to connect the device of the first metropolitan area to the one or more cloud service provider networks of the second metropolitan area network via the NSP and the first and second virtual circuits.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein, to select the NSP, the instructions cause the at least one computer processor to:
select the NSP based on at least one of bandwidth, service-level agreements, quality, performance, or price of the NSP.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the first and second virtual circuits are pre-provisioned by the programmable network platform prior to selecting the NSP.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a device to:
receive, from a programmable network platform for a cloud based services exchange point of a first metropolitan area including the device and a cloud based services exchange point of a second metropolitan area, one or more selectable options to connect to a network service provider (NSP) configured to transport traffic from the first metropolitan area to the second metropolitan area, wherein a first virtual circuit is provisioned by the programmable network platform from a port of a cloud-based services exchange point of the first metropolitan area to the NSP, and a second virtual circuit is provisioned by the programmable network platform from a port of a cloud-based services exchange point of the second metropolitan area to the NSP;
select, from the programmable network platform, the NSP to connect the device of the first metropolitan area to one or more cloud service provider networks of the second metropolitan area; and
responsive to selecting the NSP, access the one or more cloud services of the second metropolitan area via the NSP and the first and second virtual circuits provisioned by the programmable network platform to interconnect the NSP to the first metropolitan area and the second metropolitan area.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein, to select the NSP, the instructions cause the at least one computer processor to:
select the first virtual circuit and the second virtual circuit to connect the device of the first metropolitan area to the one or more cloud service provider networks of the second metropolitan area network via the NSP and the first and second virtual circuits.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein, to select the NSP, the instructions cause the at least one computer processor to:
select the NSP based on at least one of bandwidth, service-level agreements, quality, performance, and price of the NSP.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the first and second virtual circuits are pre-provisioned by the programmable network platform prior to selecting the NSP.

Assignees

• Equinix Inc

Inventors

• Wagner Theodore James
• Wilhelmus Coenders Guido Franciscus
• Bartell Micah

Classifications

• H04L41/40

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

• H04L43/20

  the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV · CPC title

• H04L41/0895

  Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements · CPC title

• H04L67/51

  Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services · CPC title

• H04L12/4633

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title