Quantum Key Distribution Networking as a Service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022173896-A1
Application number	US-202017107818-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2020
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Jun 2, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to quantum key distribution (“QKD”) networking as a service. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a microservices controller can establish a plurality of quantum connections with a plurality of virtual quantum connection managers (“vQCMs”) deployed in association with a set of quantum user nodes (“QUNs”) in a QKD network. The microservices controller can receive a request to initialize the QKD network. The microservices controller can coordinate with the plurality of vQCMs to handle initialization of the QKD network. The microservices controller can receive a QKD service request from a QKD network operator. The microservices controller can invoke a plurality of microservices to handle the QKD service request.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
establishing, by a microservices controller, a plurality of quantum connections with a plurality of virtual quantum connection managers deployed in association with a set of quantum user nodes in a quantum key distribution network; receiving, by the microservices controller, a request to initialize the quantum key distribution network; and coordinating, by the microservices controller, with the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers to handle initialization of the quantum key distribution network.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing, by the microservices controller, the plurality of quantum connections with the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers comprises establishing, by the microservices controller via invocation of a quantum connection microservice, the plurality of quantum connections with the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing, by the microservices controller, the plurality of quantum connections with the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers comprises establishing, by the microservices controller via invocation of a plurality of microservices each associated with one virtual quantum connection manager of the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers, the plurality of quantum connections with the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating, by the microservices controller, with the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers comprises configuring, by the microservices controller, the set of quantum user nodes based on a desired network topology for the quantum key distribution network.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising receiving, by the microservices controller, the desired network topology in the request to initialize the quantum key distribution network.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising selecting, by the microservices controller, the desired network topology based on a default setting.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the quantum key distribution network comprises a plurality of quantum links; wherein each quantum link of the plurality of quantum links provides a quantum communication channel between two quantum user nodes in the set of quantum user nodes or between one quantum user node and one transfer repeater node; and wherein each of the plurality of quantum links provides a secret-key rate.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving, by the microservices controller, a quantum key distribution service request from a quantum key distribution network operator; and invoking, by the microservices controller, a plurality of microservices to handle the quantum key distribution service request.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein invoking, by the microservices controller, the plurality of microservices to handle the quantum key distribution service request comprises:
invoking, by the microservices controller, an intelligent routing microservice to perform quantum key distribution path computation and selection to compute and select a least cost quantum key distribution path; invoking, by the microservices controller, a secret-key rate microservice to perform secret-key rate search and selection based upon a secret-key rate requirement specified in the quantum key distribution service request; and responsive to finding at least one secret-key rate slot available on at least one of the plurality of quantum links that satisfies the secret-key rate requirement, invoking, by the microservices controller, a quantum connection microservice, to configure a source quantum user node and a destination quantum user node along the least cost quantum key distribution path.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising notifying, by the microservices controller, the quantum key distribution network operator that the quantum key distribution service request was successful.

11 . A system comprising:
a microservices controller; and a plurality of microservices controlled by the microservices controller, wherein the plurality of microservices are executed by a cloud network; wherein the microservices controller invokes the plurality of microservices to perform operations comprising
establishing a plurality of quantum connections with a plurality of virtual quantum connection managers deployed in association with a set of quantum user nodes in a quantum key distribution network,
receiving a request to initialize the quantum key distribution network, and
coordinating with the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers to handle initialization of the quantum key distribution network.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein coordinating with the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers comprises configuring the set of quantum user nodes based on a desired network topology for the quantum key distribution network.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving the desired network topology in the request to initialize the quantum key distribution network.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise selecting the desired network topology based on a default setting.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the quantum key distribution network comprises a plurality of quantum links; wherein each quantum link of the plurality of quantum links provides a quantum communication channel between two quantum user nodes in the set of quantum user nodes or between one quantum user node and one transfer repeater node; and wherein each of the plurality of quantum links provides a secret-key rate.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a quantum key distribution service request from a quantum key distribution network operator; and handling the quantum key distribution service request.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein handling the quantum key distribution service request comprises:
performing quantum key distribution path computation and selection to compute and select a least cost quantum key distribution path; performing secret-key rate search and selection based upon a secret-key rate requirement specified in the quantum key distribution service request; and responsive to finding at least one secret-key rate slot available on at least one of the plurality of quantum links that satisfies the secret-key rate requirement, configuring a source quantum user node and a destination quantum user node along the least cost quantum key distribution path.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise notifying the quantum key distribution network operator that the quantum key distribution request was successful.

19 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a microservices controller, causes the processor to invoke a plurality of microservices to perform operations comprising:
establishing a plurality of quantum connections with a plurality of virtual quantum connection managers deployed in association with a set of quantum user nodes in a quantum key distribution network; receiving a request to initialize the quantum key distribution network; coordinating with the plurality of virtual quantum connection managers to handle initialization of the quantum key distribution network, wherein the coordinating comprises configuring the set of quantum user nodes based on a desired network to

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Rahman Moshiur
• Trost William
• Solero Daniel
• Sheleheda Daniel

Classifications

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L9/0855 Primary

  involving additional nodes, e.g. quantum relays, repeaters, intermediate nodes or remote nodes · CPC title

• H04L9/0827

  involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths (network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18) · CPC title

• H04L9/085

  Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes · CPC title