Provisioning dedicated network resources with API services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9491066-B2
Application number	US-201514947930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed that provision a cloud-based service together with a dedicated network connection to provision a cloud-based service element. In response to the request both the cloud-based service element and a dedicated network connection are provisioned. Provisioning the cloud-based service element together with the dedicated network connection enables the cloud-based service element to utilize the dedicated network connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for provisioning a cloud-based service, comprising:
(a) receiving a user request to provision a cloud-based service element;
in response to the user request:
(b) provisioning the cloud-based service element, the cloud-based service element providing an application service from a data center, the application service accessible using an application program interface via a network;
(c) selecting, based on a location of the user, the data center to provide the cloud-based service element from a plurality of data centers in separate locations such that the selected data center is in proximity of the location of the user;
(d) determining a topology of the dedicated network connection based on the location of the selected data center; and
(e) provisioning a dedicated network connection on the network connected to the data center, the dedicated network connection connecting the data center to another location geographically separate from the data center and reserving network resources on the network between the data center to the other location to be used by the cloud-based service element wherein the provisioning (e) includes configuring switching devices on the network, the switching devices selected based on the topology,
whereby provisioning the cloud-based service element in (b) together with the dedicated network connection in (e) enables the cloud-based service element to utilize the dedicated network connection.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(f) in response to the user request, provisioning an infrastructure network connection within the data center, the infrastructure network connection connecting the cloud-based service element with the network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(f) determining a quote based on the location of the selected data center and the other geographically separate location.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(f) determining a quote based on an amount of data transferred over the dedicated network connection.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(f) determining a quote based on an amount of bandwidth available over the dedicated network connection.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the other location is a location of another data center with another cloud-based service element.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the other location is a location of a user's enterprise.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated network connection has a particular bandwidth reserved on the network.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated network connection is an Ethernet E-Line.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated network connection is an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network connection.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the dedicated network connection is an Internet Protocol connection.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the user request includes an activation time, the provisioning (b) includes scheduling the cloud-based service element to be activated at the activation time, and the provisioning (e) includes scheduling the dedicated network connection to be activated at the activation time.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the user request includes a condition, the provisioning (b) includes scheduling the cloud-based service element to be activated when the condition occurs, and the provisioning (e) includes scheduling the dedicated network connection to be activated when the condition occurs.

14. A system for provisioning a cloud-based service, comprising: a computing device comprising at least one processor and a memory for executing and storing instructions;
a user interface module, implemented on the computing device, that receives a user request to provision a cloud-based service element;
a cloud provisioning module, implemented on the computing device, that in response to the user request, provisions the cloud-based service element, the cloud-based service element providing a web service from a data center, the web service accessible using an application program interface via a network; and
a network provisioning module, implemented on the computing device, that also in response to the user request, provisions a dedicated network connection on the network connected to the data center, the dedicated network connection connecting the data center to another location geographically separate from the data center and reserving network resources on the network between the data center to the other location to be used by the cloud-based service element,
whereby the cloud provisioning module, implemented on the computing device, provisions the cloud-based service element together with the dedicated network connection to enable the cloud-based service element to utilize the dedicated network connection;
a network topology module, implemented on the computing device, that selects, based on a location of the user, the data center to provide the cloud-based service element from a plurality of data centers in separate locations such that the selected data center is in proximity of the location of the user and determines a topology of the dedicated network connection based on the location of the selected data center, and
wherein the network provisioning module, implemented on the processing unit, sends a message to a network API server to configure switching devices on the network, the switching devices selected based on the topology.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the network provisioning module, in response to the user request, provisions an infrastructure network connection within the data center, the infrastructure network connection connecting the cloud-based service element with the network.

16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a network API handler module that determines a quote based on the location of the geographically separate other location.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the other location is a location of another data center with another cloud-based service element.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the other location is a location of a user's enterprise.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the dedicated network connection has a particular bandwidth reserved on the network.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the dedicated network connection is an Ethernet E-Line.

21. A program storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by at least one machine to perform a method for provisioning a cloud-based service, the network including a plurality of interconnected switching devices, the method comprising:
(a) receiving request of a user to provision a cloud-based service element;
in response to the user request:
(b) provisioning the cloud-based service element, the cloud-based service element providing an application service from a data center, the application service accessible using an application program interface via a network;
(c) selecting, based on a location of the user, the data center to provide the cloud-based service element from a plurality of data centers in separate locations such that the selected data center is in proximity of the location of the user;
(d) determining a topology of the dedicated network conn

Assignees

• Level 3 Communications Llc

Inventors

• Caputo Ii Pete Joseph
• Ritchie Austin David
• Prehmus Alan Wade
• Ewert Travis Duane
• Teets Harold Wayne

Classifications

• H04W4/50

  Service provisioning or reconfiguring · CPC title

• H04L47/72

  using reservation actions during connection setup · CPC title

• H04W4/60

  Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits · CPC title

• H04L12/1421

  Indication of expected costs · CPC title

• H04L41/0806

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title