Virtual network element and methods for use therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016359769-A1
Application number	US-201514728032-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Jun 2, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a virtual network element that includes a plurality of virtual machine modules configured to process a plurality of control packets in a virtualized telecommunication network. A classifier module is configured to receive telecommunications traffic that includes the plurality of control packets and a plurality of data packets, to separate the plurality of control plane data from the at least one data packet, and to forward the plurality of control packets to selected ones of the plurality of virtual machine modules. A forwarding device, coupled to the classifier module and separate from the plurality of virtual machine modules, is configured to forward the plurality of data packets in the virtualized telecommunication network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A virtual network element comprising:
a plurality of virtual machine modules configured to process a plurality of control packets in a virtualized telecommunication network; a classifier module, coupled to the plurality of virtual machine modules, configured to receive telecommunications traffic that includes the plurality of control packets and a plurality of data packets, to separate the plurality of control packets from the plurality of data packets, and to forward the plurality of control packets to selected ones of the plurality of virtual machine modules; and a forwarding device, coupled to the classifier module and separate from the plurality of virtual machine modules, configured to forward the plurality of data packets in the virtualized telecommunication network.

2 . The virtual network element of claim 1 wherein the plurality of virtual machine modules process the plurality of control packets to generate updating data; and
wherein the forwarding device forwards the plurality of data packets based on the updating data.

3 . The virtual network element of claim 2 wherein the forwarding device rewrites header information in at least one of the plurality of data packets based on the updating data.

4 . The virtual network element of claim 2 wherein the updating data is generated in accordance with at least one application programming interface that facilitates a communication channel between the plurality of virtual machines and the forwarding device.

5 . The virtual network element of claim 1 wherein the plurality of virtual machine modules process the plurality of control packets to generate packet updating data in accordance with a rules database that includes one or more of: packet forwarding rules, packet filtering rules or packet rate limiting rules; and
wherein the forwarding device forwards the plurality of data packets based on the updating data.

6 . The virtual network element of claim 5 wherein the forwarding device forwards the plurality of data packets based on the updating data by filtering out selected ones of the plurality of data packets in accordance with the packet filtering rules.

7 . The virtual network element of claim 5 wherein the forwarding device forwards the plurality of data packets based on the updating data by rate limiting the plurality of data packets in accordance with the packet rate limiting rules.

8 . The virtual network element of claim 1 wherein the forwarding device includes a network packet switch.

9 . The virtual network element of claim 1 wherein the forwarding device and the classifier module are implemented via an application program executed by a processing device and wherein the forwarding device operates in accordance with a data plane development kit.

10 . The virtual network element of claim 1 wherein the forwarding device receives the telecommunications traffic and forwards the telecommunications traffic to the classifier module.

11 . A method comprising:
receiving telecommunications traffic that includes a plurality of control packets and a plurality of data packets; separating the plurality of control packets from the plurality of data packets; forwarding the plurality of control packets to selected ones of a plurality of virtual machines; processing, via the plurality of virtual machines, the plurality of control packets in a virtualized telecommunication network to generate updating data; and forwarding, via a forwarding device that is separate from the plurality of virtual machines, the plurality of data packets in the virtualized telecommunication network based on the updating data.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the forwarding device receives the telecommunications traffic and forwards the telecommunications traffic to a classifier module that separates the plurality of control packets from the plurality of data packets.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein forwarding the plurality of data packets includes rewriting header information in at least one of the plurality of data packets based on the updating data.

14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the updating data is generated in accordance with at least one application programming interface that facilitates a communication channel between the plurality of virtual machines and the forwarding device.

15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the processing of the plurality of control packets is in accordance with a rules database that includes one or more of: packet forwarding rules, packet filtering rules or packet rate limiting rules.

16 . The method of claim 11 wherein the forwarding the plurality of data packets includes filtering out selected ones of the plurality of data packets in accordance with packet filtering rules.

17 . The method of claim 11 wherein the forwarding the plurality of data packets includes rate limiting the plurality of data packets in accordance with packet rate limiting rules.

18 . The method of claim 11 wherein forwarding the plurality of data packets includes executing a data plane development kit.

19 . A virtual network element comprising:
a plurality of virtual machine modules configured to process a plurality of control packets in a virtualized telecommunication network in accordance with a rules database that includes one or more of: packet forwarding rules, packet filtering rules or packet rate limiting rules, and to generate updating data in response thereto; a classifier module, coupled to the plurality of virtual machine modules, configured to receive telecommunications traffic that includes the plurality of control packets and a plurality of data packets, to separate the plurality of control data from the plurality of data packets, and to forward the plurality of control packets to selected ones of the plurality of virtual machine modules; and a forwarding device, coupled to the classifier module and separate from the plurality of virtual machine modules, configured to forward the plurality of data packets in the virtualized telecommunication network based on the updating data and in accordance with a data plane development kit.

20 . The virtual network element of claim 19 wherein the updating data is generated in accordance with at least one application programming interface that facilitates a communication channel between the plurality of virtual machines and the forwarding device.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Wang Chengwei
• Gopalakrishnan Vijay
• Spatscheck Oliver
• Xu Yang
• Bilbray Kyle Robert

Classifications

• H04L49/70 Primary

  Virtual switches · CPC title

• H04L69/22

  Parsing or analysis of headers · CPC title