# US 11,442,769 B2 · Network management for elastic virtual network functions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,769 B2 - Document ID: US11442769B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/828,603 - Filed: 2020-03-24 - Published: 2020-07-16 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-22 - Assignees: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. - Applicants: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. - Inventors: Paul Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442769B2 ## CPC - G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects} - G06F 9/5077: {Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455)} - H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)} - H04L 41/0895: Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements - H04L 41/0896: Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities (flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76) - G06F 2009/4557: {Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing} - G06F 2009/45595: {Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances} - H04L 43/0817: by checking functioning - H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring - H04L 45/306: {Route determination based on the nature of the carried application} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method includes, with a Virtual Network Function (VNF) manager that manages a VNF that includes plurality of VNF components running on a plurality of virtual machines, determining that an additional VNF component should be provisioned on an additional virtual machine. The method further includes, in response to the determining that the additional VNF component should be provisioned, instructing a compute controller to provision the additional virtual machine. The method further includes instructing a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controller to connect the additional virtual machine to a network that interconnects the VNF components, and provisioning the additional VNF component on the additional virtual machine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: with a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controller, receiving an instruction from a Virtual Network Function (VNF) manager that manages a VNF that includes plurality of VNF components running on a plurality of virtual machines, wherein the plurality of VNF components includes independently scalable service VNF components, database VNF components, and a load balancing VNF components; with the SDN controller, in response to the instruction: establishing a first connection from a newly provisioned virtual machine having one of the independently scalable service VNF components to one of the database VNF components. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, with the VNF manager, determining that the one of the service VNF components should be provisioned in response to receiving data from an Element Management System (EMS) associated with the VNF. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the EMS is configured to send the data in response to detecting a change in utilization of the VNF. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein configuring the one of the service VNF components comprises providing characteristic information about an additional virtual machine to the EMS. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the characteristic information includes a network address of the additional virtual machine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, utilizing a referenced virtual machine image, the referenced virtual machine image comprising the one of the service VNF components. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the newly provisioned virtual machine is provisioned with a compute controller. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the SDN controller manages a network associated with a cloud computing environment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising, with the VNF manager, sending information related to an increase in capacity of computing resources to an external SDN controller, the external SDN controller being external to the cloud computing environment. ### Claim 10 A method comprising: managing a Virtual Network Function (VNF) that includes a plurality of VNF components, the VNF components being interconnected over a network, wherein the plurality of VNF components includes independently scalable service VNF components, database VNF components, and load balancing VNF components; instructing a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controller to connect an additional virtual machine to a plurality of virtual machines, wherein the plurality of virtual machines runs different types of VNF components than an additional VNF component running on the additional virtual machine; and provisioning the additional VNF component on the additional virtual machine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the additional VNF component comprises a service component. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the different types of VNF components include load balancing VNF components. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the different types of VNF components include database VNF components. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising, with the SDN controller, establishing a connection between the additional virtual machine and a virtual machine that runs a database VNF component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising, with the SDN controller, establishing a connection between the additional virtual machine and a virtual machine that runs a load balancing VNF component. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the load balancing VNF component acts as an access point between the network and an access network. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the additional VNF component creates an increased capacity of the VNF. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising, notifying an external SDN controller of the increased capacity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to utilization of current capacity of the VNF dropping below a defined threshold, instructing a compute controller to release one of the plurality of VNF components. ### Claim 20 A system comprising: a processor; and a memory comprising machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the system to: with a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controller, receive an instruction from a Virtual Network Function (VNF) manager that manages a VNF that includes plurality of VNF components running on a plurality of virtual machines, wherein the plurality of VNF components includes independently scalable service VNF components, database VNF components, and load balancing VNF components; with the SDN controller, in response to the instruction: establish a first connection from a newly provisioned virtual machine having one of the independently scalable service VNF components to one of the load balancing VNF components; and establish a second connection from the newly provisioned virtual machine having one of the independently scalable service VNF components to one of the database VNF components.