Cloud Interface for Use of Cloud Services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016088068-A1
Application number	US-201514860641-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Sep 19, 2014
Publication date	Mar 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses are disclosed for providing a user seamless access to cloud services made available by multiple different cloud providers. In some embodiments, a computing device may receive a request from a user to access a variety of cloud services. The computing device may retrieve cloud services from each of the cloud providers and cause display of a user interface that includes each of the cloud services from the different cloud providers so that the user interface is a uniform point of contact with the cloud providers. Further, in some embodiments, various interfaces, cloud service connections, and cloud service connection termination points may be defined.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a cloud carrier communicatively coupled to a plurality of cloud providers, wherein the cloud carrier is configured to provide coordinated access of cloud services of the plurality of cloud providers to a cloud service user; and a cloud carrier cloud provider interface (CCCPI) for relaying communications between the cloud carrier and at least one of the plurality of cloud providers, the CCCPI comprising a first layer, a second layer and a third layer, wherein the third layer comprises an internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) virtual private network (VPN) attribute and an internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) VPN attribute.

2 . The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the cloud carrier is a cable service computing device, wherein the second layer comprises metro Ethernet forum (MEF) external network-network interface (ENNI) service attributes, MEF ENNI layer 2 control protocol (L2CP) attributes for user network interface (UNI) tunnel access (UTA), and virtual network interface device (vNID) attributes.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the third layer comprises multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) user network interface (UNI) attributes.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cloud carrier is communicatively coupled to the cloud service user via a cloud service user interface comprising a physical layer, a data link layer, a network layer, a transport layer, a session layer, a presentation layer, and an application layer.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the data link layer of the cloud service user interface comprises MEF UNI service attribute for Ethernet private services, MEF UNI L2CP service attributes for UTA, MEF UNI L2CP service attributes for vNID, MEF UNI service attribute for Ethernet private line (EPL), MEF UNI service attribute for Ethernet virtual private line (EVPL), MEF UNI Service attributes for Ethernet private local access network (EP-LAN), UNI Service attributes for Ethernet virtual private local access network (EVP-LAN), MEF UNI Service attributes for Ethernet private tree (EP-Tree), and MEF UNI Service attributes for Ethernet virtual private tree (EVP-Tree).

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the physical layer of the cloud service user interface comprises data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) attributes, Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) attributes, gigabit-capable passive optical networks (GPON) attributes, wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) attributes, synchronous optical networking (SONET) attributes, synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) attributes, and optical transport network (OTN) attributes.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cloud service interface communicatively coupled to a virtual machine of a cloud provider of the plurality of cloud providers, wherein the cloud service interface comprises a data link layer, a network layer, a transport layer, a session layer, a presentation layer, and an application layer.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the cloud service interface comprises identifiers of one or more virtual machines, a list of networks as a service employed by the one or more virtual machines, and a connection multiplexing attribute.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the data link layer of the cloud service interface comprises MEF UNI service attributes for EPL MEF UNI service attributes for EVPL MEF UNI service attributes for EP-LAN, MEF UNI service attributes for EVP-LAN, MEF UNI service attributes for EP-Tree, and MEF UNI service attributes for EVP-Tree.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cloud service connection between the cloud carrier and a cloud provider of the plurality of cloud providers, wherein the cloud service connection comprises a connection start time and a connection start interval, wherein the connection start interval indicates an acceptable interval after the connection start time during which service attributes can be modified.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cloud service connection termination point communicatively coupled to the cloud carrier, wherein the cloud service connection termination point comprises an identifier of a cloud service user interface, an identifier of a cloud service interface, and an identifier of a cloud service connection.

12 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device from a client device, a request for a plurality of cloud services from a plurality of cloud providers; retrieving, by the computing device, the plurality of cloud services from the plurality of cloud providers; and causing, by the computing device, display of a single user interface comprising the plurality of cloud services.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the computing device is a cable service provider separate from the plurality of cloud providers.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
relaying, by the computing device, communications associated with one or more of the plurality of cloud services between the client device and one or more of the plurality of cloud providers.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the request, configuring the plurality of cloud providers to each support a standard interface between the computing device and the plurality of cloud providers.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
registering, by the computing device, cloud service account information of a user of the client device.

17 . A system comprising:
a cloud carrier communicatively coupled to a plurality of cloud providers, wherein the cloud carrier is configured to provide coordinated access of cloud services of the plurality of cloud providers to a cloud service user; and a cloud service interface communicatively coupled to a virtual machine of a cloud provider of the plurality of cloud providers, wherein the cloud service interface comprises identifiers of one or more virtual machines, a list of network as a services employed by the one or more virtual machines, and a connection multiplexing attribute.

18 . The system of claim 17 ,
wherein the cloud carrier is communicatively coupled to the cloud service user via a cloud service user interface comprising a physical layer, a data link layer, a network layer, a transport layer, a session layer, a presentation layer, and an application layer, wherein the data link layer of the cloud service user interface comprises metro Ethernet forum (MEF) user network interface (UNI) service attribute for Ethernet private services, MEF UNI layer 2 control protocol (L2CP) service attributes for UNI tunnel access (UTA), MEF UNI L2CP service attributes for virtual network interface device (vNID), MEF UNI service attribute for Ethernet private line (EPL), MEF UNI service attribute for Ethernet virtual private line (EVPL), MEF UNI service attributes for Ethernet private local access network (EP-LAN), UNI service attributes for Ethernet virtual private local access network (EVP-LAN), MEF UNI service attributes for Ethernet private tree (EP-Tree), and MEF UNI service attributes for Ethernet virtual private tree (EVP-Tree).

19 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a cloud service connection between the cloud carrier and a cloud provider of the plurality of cloud providers, wherein the cloud service connection comprises a connection start time and a connection start interval, wherein the connection start interval indicates an acceptable interval after the connection start time during which service attributes can be mod

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Toy Mehmet

Classifications

• H04L69/321

  Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers · CPC title

• H04L12/4641

  Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272) · CPC title

• H04L63/0272 Primary

  Virtual private networks · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• H04L45/50

  using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS] · CPC title