Distributed controllers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017214593-A1
Application number	US-201615003767-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 21, 2016
Priority date	Jan 21, 2016
Publication date	Jul 27, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure may include a method that includes determining latency between a client system and a service provider system. The client system may include a network element and a client computing device and the service provider system may include a controller program configured to provide controller services to the network element of the client system. The method may also include, based on the latency being longer than a threshold, transmitting the controller program to the client computing device to be executed by the client computing device so that the client computing device provides controller services to the network element of the client system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
determining latency between a client system and a service provider system, the client system including a network element and a client computing device, the service provider system including a controller program configured to provide controller services to the network element of the client system; and based on the latency being longer than a threshold, transmitting the controller program to the client computing device to be executed by the client computing device so that the client computing device provides controller services to the network element of the client system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining latency between a client system and a service provider system includes measuring latency between a service provider computer of the service provider system running the controller program and the network element.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining latency between a client system and a service provider system includes measuring latency between a portal of the service provider system and the client computing device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining latency between a client system and a service provider system includes measuring latency between a service provider computer of the service provider system running the controller program and the client computing device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining latency between a client system and a service provider system includes measuring latency between a portal of the service provider system and the network element.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the controller program is additionally based on one or more of a memory burden of the client computing device based on memory usage of the controller program, a storage burden of the client computing device based on volume of storage used by the controller program, and a processing burden of the client computing device based on processor utilization of the controller program.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying one or more computing devices currently operating at the client system, the one or more computing devices including the client computing device; selecting the client computing device, from among the one or more computing devices, to run the controller program; requesting the client computing device to run the controller program; receiving confirmation that the client computing device is running the controller program; and shutting down the controller program at the service provider system.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving authentication of a user operating the client computing device prior to transmitting the controller program to the client computing device.

9 . A method comprising:
receiving a controller program from a service provider system at a client computing device of a client system, the controller program configured to provide controller services to a network element of the client system; operating, by the client computing device, the controller program; and notifying the service provider system that the client computing device is operating the controller program.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving a shutdown request at the client computing device while the client computing device is running the controller program; interrupting a shutdown process of the client computing device until another client computing device of the client system is identified to run the controller program; providing the controller program to the other client computing device; and completing the shutdown process of the client computing device.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the network element is a first network element and the method further comprises, while the service provider system is providing controller services to a second network element of the client system, requesting an additional controller program from the service provider system to provide controller services to the first network element.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising clustering the controller program with an additional controller program operating at the service provider system to provide controller services to a second network element of the client system.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the clustering causes the controller program operating on the client computing device to join a pool of a plurality of controller programs providing controller services to a plurality of network elements of the client system that include the network element.

14 . A controller system, the system comprising:
a service provider system, the service provider system including a set of first controller programs operating at the service provider system; and a customer system, the customer system comprising:
a plurality of network elements; and
a customer computer operating a second controller program received from the service provider system to provide controller services to at least one of the plurality of network elements, a remainder of the plurality of network elements receiving controller services from the set of first controller programs operating at the service provider system.

15 . The controller system of claim 14 , wherein the service provider system is configured to monitor a latency between the service provider system and the customer system and to transmit the second controller program to the client computing device in response to the latency exceeding a threshold.

16 . The controller system of claim 14 , wherein the set of first controller programs and the second controller program are operating in a controller pool.

17 . The controller system of claim 14 , wherein the service provider system comprises a portal that is accessible by the customer system and that is configured to permit the customer system to interact with the service provider system.

18 . The controller system of claim 17 , wherein the portal includes a web portal.

19 . The controller system of claim 14 , wherein the customer system further comprises an additional client computing device configured to operate the second controller program and that receives but does not execute the second controller program.

20 . The controller system of claim 14 , wherein the service provider system is configured to monitor a load of the set of first controller programs and to transmit the second controller program to the client computing device in response to the load of the set of first controller programs exceeding a threshold.

Assignees

• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Sho

Classifications

• H04L43/0852 Primary

  Delays · CPC title

• H04L43/062

  related to network traffic · CPC title

• G06F9/442

  Shutdown · CPC title

• H04L43/0864 Primary

  Round trip delays · CPC title

• H04L43/10

  Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route · CPC title