Creating and using service control functions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9825813-B2
Application number	US-201414529465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2014
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for creating and using service control functions. The service control functions can detect a message via an adapter function. The message can relate to a service controlled by the service control functions. Service policies can be accessed. The service policies can include message handling policies and can be accessed to determine if a policy relating to the message exists. If a determination is made that the policy exists, the message and the policy can be analyzed to determine an action to take with respect to the message, and the action can be initiated.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a control system comprising a memory and a processor, a message via an adapter function, wherein the message relates to a performance issue associated with a service that is controlled by a service control function, wherein the service control function is a component of a service control that is stored in the memory, wherein the message is received from a peer domain scope controller associated with a domain scope comprising an infrastructure scope or a network scope, and wherein the message is received in a first format that is associated with the peer domain scope controller;
translating, by the control system, the message for use within the service control function, wherein translating the message comprises translating the message from the first format to a second format that is associated with the service control function;
determining, by the control system, a message type associated with the message;
accessing, by the control system, message handling policies;
determining, by the control system and based on analyzing the message handling policies, if a message handling policy that relates to the message type exists;
if a determination is made that the message handling policy that relates to the message type exists,
analyzing, by the control system, the message and the message handling policy that relates to the message type to determine routing for the message, and
routing, by the control system, the message in accordance with the routing determined; and

if a determination is made that the message handling policy that relates to the message type does not exist, executing, by the control system, a default action specified by a default message handling policy.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing, by the control system, service policies that define handling of the message;
determining, by the control system, an action to take with respect to the message based upon contents of the message and the service policies; and
initiating, by the control system, the action based upon the determining.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the action comprises forwarding a copy of the message to a service data collection, analytics, and event handling process provided by a message handler and a service analytics element, and wherein the service policies comprise the message handling policies, service analytics policies, and service management policies.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service control function is created by:
detecting a service creation request;
determining, based upon the service creation request, that the service control function does not exist and is to be created;
obtaining a service control function recipe;
requesting, from an infrastructure control element, instantiation of resources to host the service control function; and
deploying an image of the service control function to the resources.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores:
the message handling policies;
a service controller;
the adapter function; and
a higher level service control function.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control system communicates with infrastructure using an application programming interface exposed by the service control, wherein the service is installed on the infrastructure, and wherein the service comprises a virtual service function, a virtual service function management function, and a network element management function.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service control comprises a higher level service control function, the service control function, and a lower level service control function, wherein the service control function comprises the adapter function, a message handler, and a service inventory, and wherein the service control is stored on the memory.

8. 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
receiving a message via an adapter function of a control system, wherein the message relates to a performance issue associated with a service that is controlled by a service control function, wherein the service control function is a component of a service control that is stored in the memory, wherein the message is received from a peer domain scope controller associated with a domain scope comprising an infrastructure scope or a network scope, and wherein the message is received in a first format that is associated with the peer domain scope controller,
translating the message for use within the service control function, wherein translating the message comprises translating the message from the first format to a second format that is associated with the service control function,
determining a message type associated with the message,
accessing service policies comprising message handling policies;
determining, based on analyzing the service policies if a policy that relates to the message type exists, and
in response to a determination that the policy that relates to the message type exists,
analyzing the message and the policy that relates to the message type to determine an action to take with respect the message, and
initiating the action determined.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the policy comprises a message handling policy, wherein the action comprises routing the message, and wherein initiating the action comprises forwarding the message along a route determined to trigger a response to the performance issue.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the policy comprises a service analytics policy, wherein the action comprises conducting analysis relating to the message using a service analytics element, and wherein initiating the action comprises forwarding the message to the service analytics element.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the service control function is created by:
detecting a service creation request;
determining, based upon the service creation request, that the service control function does not exist and is to be created;
obtaining a service control function recipe;
requesting, from an infrastructure control element, instantiation of resources to host the service control function; and
deploying an image of the service control function to the resources.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control system communicates with infrastructure using an application programming interface exposed by the service control, wherein the service is installed on the infrastructure, and wherein the service comprises a virtual service function, a virtual service function management function, and a network element management function.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the service control comprises a higher level service control function, the service control function, and a lower level service control function, wherein the service control function comprises the adapter function, a message handler, and a service inventory, and wherein the service control is stored in the memory.

14. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a message at a control system via an adapter function, wherein the message relates to a performance issue associated with a service that is controlled by a service control function, wherein the service control function is a component of a service control that is stored in a memory of the control system, wherein the message is received from a peer domain scope controller associated with a domain

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Chastain Walter Cooper
• Klein Reuben
• Bragg Dean
• Oetting John
• Cariello Frank
• Smith Jr Paul Edward

Classifications

• G06F9/45533

  Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors · CPC title

• H04L45/302

  Route determination based on requested QoS · CPC title

• H04L45/42

  Centralised routing · CPC title

• H04L41/0893 Primary

  Assignment of logical groups to network elements · CPC title

• H04L41/0895

  Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements · CPC title