Deep Packet Inspection Virtual Function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016149774-A1
Application number	US-201414552862-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for providing and using a deep packet inspection virtual function. A control system can detect a service request. The control system can analyze a policy to determine a function of a service to which the service request relates, a virtual machine that will host the function, and a deep packet inspection virtual function associated with the service. The control system can trigger loading of an image to the virtual machine and instantiation of the virtual machine. The image can include the function of the service and the deep packet inspection virtual function. The control system can validate the service and the deep packet inspection virtual function.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method comprising:
detecting, at a control system comprising a processor, a service request comprising a request relating to a service; analyzing, by the processor, a policy to determine a function of the service, a virtual machine that will host the function, and a deep packet inspection virtual function associated with the service; triggering, by the processor, loading of an image to the virtual machine and instantiation of the virtual machine, wherein the image comprises the function of the service and the deep packet inspection virtual function; and validating, by the processor, the service and the deep packet inspection virtual function.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering the loading of the image comprises:
instructing an infrastructure control to load the image to the virtual machine, and requesting a network control to establish network transport between elements that will host the function and the deep packet inspection virtual function.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the network transport comprises transport between a deep packet inspection function that comprises the deep packet inspection virtual function and the service.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function is associated with a deep packet inspection function.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function receives deep packet inspection configuration data via a deep packet inspection virtual switch included in the deep packet inspection function, and wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function is configured based upon the deep packet inspection configuration data.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function generates software defined networking configuration data and provides the software defined networking configuration data to a network control, and wherein the network control configures the deep packet inspection virtual switch using the software defined networking configuration data.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the deep packet inspection function receives traffic, analyzes software defined networking configuration data and determines, based upon the software defined networking configuration data, if the traffic should be blocked.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
if a determination is made that the traffic should not be blocked, analyzing the traffic; and taking an action based upon the analyzing and deep packet inspection configuration data.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the action comprises one action selected from a group of actions consisting of:
creating an event and routing the event to a recipient; modifying the traffic; storing a copy of the traffic; and forking the traffic.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the service request comprises a request to create the service.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the service request comprises a request to scale the service.

12 . A system comprising:
a processor; and a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising
detecting a service request comprising a request relating to a service,
analyzing a policy to identify a function of the service, a virtual machine that will host the function, and a deep packet inspection virtual function associated with the service,
triggering loading of an image to the virtual machine and instantiation of the virtual machine, wherein the image comprises the function of the service and the deep packet inspection virtual function, and
validating the service and the deep packet inspection virtual function.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein triggering the loading of the image comprises:
instructing an infrastructure control to load the image to the virtual machine, and requesting a network control to establish network transport between elements to host the function and the deep packet inspection virtual function.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function is associated with a deep packet inspection function that comprises the deep packet inspection virtual function and a deep packet inspection virtual switch, and wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function is configured based upon deep packet inspection configuration data that is received at the deep packet inspection function via the deep packet inspection virtual switch.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function generates software defined networking configuration data that configures the deep packet inspection virtual switch, and wherein the deep packet inspection function routes the software defined networking configuration data to the deep packet inspection virtual switch via the network control.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function generates software defined networking configuration data that configures the deep packet inspection virtual switch, and wherein the deep packet inspection function routes the software defined networking configuration data to the deep packet inspection virtual switch via a service control and the network control.

17 . A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
detecting a service request comprising a request relating to a service, analyzing a policy to identify a function of the service, a virtual machine that will host the function, and a deep packet inspection virtual function associated with the service, triggering loading of an image to the virtual machine and instantiation of the virtual machine, wherein the image comprises the function of the service and the deep packet inspection virtual function, and validating the service and the deep packet inspection virtual function.

18 . The computer storage medium of claim 17 , wherein triggering the loading of the image comprises:
instructing an infrastructure control to load the image to the virtual machine, and requesting a network control to establish network transport between elements to host the function and the deep packet inspection virtual function.

19 . The computer storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function is associated with a deep packet inspection function that comprises the deep packet inspection virtual function and a deep packet inspection virtual switch, and wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function is configured based upon deep packet inspection configuration data that is received at the deep packet inspection function via the deep packet inspection virtual switch.

20 . The computer storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the deep packet inspection virtual function generates software defined networking configuration data that configures the deep packet inspection virtual switch, and wherein the deep packet inspection function routes the software defined networking configuration data to the deep packet inspection virtual switch via the network control.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Chastain Walter Cooper

Classifications

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F2009/45595

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

• H04L43/028 Primary

  by filtering · CPC title

• G06F2009/45562

  Creating, deleting, cloning virtual machine instances · CPC title