Virtual hosting device and service to provide software-defined networks in a cloud environment

A method to facilitate connecting to multiple cloud providers, the method comprising:

• providing a system comprising a software-defined network (“SDN”) automation engine, a first cloud exchange, a second cloud exchange and one or more cloud point-of-presence (PoPs) communicatively coupled to the first and second cloud exchanges, the first cloud exchange configured to provide access to cloud services of a first cloud provider, the first cloud exchange co-located with and connected to first cloud provider physical equipment, the second cloud exchange configured to provide access to cloud services of a second cloud provider that is different from the first cloud provider, the second cloud exchange co-located with and connected to second cloud provider physical equipment, at least one of the one or more cloud PoPs comprising a virtual access gateway for connecting a user device to the first cloud exchange and the second cloud exchange;
• generating, by the SDN automation engine, an application program interface (API);
• receiving, by the SDN automation engine, network specification parameters from the user device via the API;
• and
• in response to receiving the network specification parameters:
• allocating, from among a pool of system device resources, one or more virtual networking devices,
• configuring the allocated one or more virtual networking devices specifically for a customized, on-demand SDN that complies with the network specification parameters, and
• instantiating and deploying, by the SDN automation engine, the specifically-configured one or more virtual networking devices to generate the customized, on-demand SDN,
• wherein the network specification parameters include at least one of a user site location, cloud PoP information, user site equipment information, user site connection information and a network topology of the one or more virtual devices,
• said customized, on-demand SDN including both the first cloud exchange and the second cloud exchange, and
• said customized, on-demand SDN connecting the user device to the first cloud provider physical equipment and the second cloud provider physical equipment, such that the user device accesses a pre-defined combination of cloud services comprising at least one cloud service from each of the first and second cloud providers.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program instructions, the instructions when executed by a computer processor system are configured to:

• configure each of a first cloud exchange, a second cloud exchange and one or more cloud point-of-presence (PoPs) communicatively coupled to the first and second cloud exchanges, the first cloud exchange configured to provide access to cloud services of a first cloud provider, the first cloud exchange co-located with and connected to first cloud provider physical equipment, the second cloud exchange configured to provide access to cloud services of a second cloud provider that is different from the first cloud provider, the second cloud exchange co-located with and connected to second cloud provider physical equipment, at least one of the one or more cloud PoPs comprising a virtual access gateway for connecting a user device to the first cloud exchange and the second cloud exchange;
• define a software-defined network (“SDN”) automation engine that generates an application program interface (API);
• receive, by the SDN automation engine, network specification parameters from the user device via the API:
• and
• in response to receiving the network specification parameters:
• allocate, from among a pool of system device resources, one or more virtual networking devices,
• configure the allocated one or more virtual networking devices specifically for a customized, on-demand SDN that complies with the network specification parameters, and
• instantiate and deploy, by the SDN automation engine, the specifically-configured one or more virtual networking devices to generate the customized, on-demand SDN,
• wherein the network specification parameters include at least one of a user site location, cloud PoP information, user site equipment information, user site connection information and a network topology of the one or more virtual devices,
• said customized, on-demand SDN including both the first cloud exchange and the second cloud exchange, and
• said customized, on-demand SDN connecting the user device to the first cloud provider physical equipment and the second cloud provider physical equipment, such that the user device accesses a pre-defined combination of cloud services comprising at least one cloud service from each of the first and second cloud providers.