# US 12,113,669 B1 · Distributed service level enforcement in distributed system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,669 B1 - Document ID: US12113669B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/478,173 - Filed: 2023-09-29 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-29 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products L.P. - Inventors: Dharmesh M. Patel; John A. Lockman, III - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113669B1 ## CPC - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - 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) - H04L 41/5025: by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade - H04L 41/042: comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Methods and systems for managing the operation of a deployment are provided. The deployment may be managed in accordance with a subscription model. The subscription model may use subscriptions to define the extent and limits on use of services provided by the deployment. The subscription services and limits may be enforced by management controllers of network devices of the deployment. The management controllers may operate independently from control planes and data planes of the network devices. If a plane is suspected of being compromised, the management controllers may take action to confirm the suspicions. If confirmed, then remedial activity may be initiated to address the compromised plane. The remedial activity may include distributed enforcement of the subscriptions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of managing operation of a distributed system, the method comprising: making, by a management controller of a first network device, an identification that a control plane of the first network device is suspected of being compromised; identifying, by the management controller and based on the identification, a level of network service provided by a data plane of the first network device and that is governed by a subscription; making, by the management controller, a first determination that the level of network service is not commensurate with the subscription; in response to the first determination, the method further comprises: identifying, by the management controller, a configuration of the data plane that is out of compliance with the subscription; initiating, at least in part by the management controller and based on the configuration, remote enforcement of the subscription by a second network device to conform operation of the data plane to the subscription to obtain an updated data plane; and providing, by the first network device, network data unit processing services using the updated data plane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the remote enforcement comprises: identifying a new subscription for the second network device; and deploying the new subscription to the second network device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the new subscription is based on the configuration of the data plane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the configuration is a bandwidth of a port connecting the first network device to the second network device, and the new subscription limits bandwidth of a port of the second network device connected to the port of the first network device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the remote enforcement of the subscription is also performed, at least in part, by a subscription manager tasked with managing subscriptions for the first network device and the second network device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration is one selected from a group of configurations consisting of: use of a port for network data unit forwarding as part of the network data unit processing services; bandwidth of a port allocated for use in the network data unit forwarding as part of the network data unit processing services; and use of a communication protocol in the network data unit forwarding as part of the network data unit processing services. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration is identified by the management controller using a management link to an application specific integrated circuit of the first network device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the management controller comprises a data processing system, the control plane is hosted by computing resources of the first network device, and the data processing system operates independently from the computing resources. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the management controller is operably connected to the computing resources via a first management channel, and the first management channel being usable by the management controller to configure the computing resources. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the data plane is hosted by a special purpose hardware device operably connected to in-band links through which network traffic is obtained and forwarded on to other devices, and the management controller is operably connected to at least one other device via an out-of-band link. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the management controller is operably connected to the special purpose hardware device via a second management channel, and the second management channel being usable by the management controller to configure the special purpose hardware device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the special purpose hardware device comprises a switch application specific integrated circuit adapted to forward network traffic. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the subscription is for the level of network service to be provided by the first network device to a subscribing entity. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause a first network device to perform operations for managing operation of a distributed system, the operations comprising: making, by a management controller of the first network device, an identification that a control plane of the first network device is suspected of being compromised; identifying, by the management controller and based on the identification, a level of network service provided by a data plane of the first network device and that is governed by a subscription; making, by the management controller, a first determination regarding whether the level of network service is commensurate with the subscription; in a first instance of the first determination where the level of network service is not commensurate with the subscription: identifying, by the management controller, a configuration of the data plane that is out of compliance with the subscription; initiating, at least in part by the management controller and based on the configuration, remote enforcement of the subscription by a second network device to conform operation of the data plane to the subscription to obtain an updated data plane; and providing, by the first network device, network data unit processing services using the updated data plane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein initiating the remote enforcement comprises: identifying a new subscription for the second network device; and deploying the new subscription to the second network device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the new subscription is based on the configuration of the data plane. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the configuration is a bandwidth of a port connecting the first network device to the second network device, and the new subscription limits bandwidth of a port of the second network device connected to the port of the first network device. ### Claim 18 A first network device, comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the network device to perform operations for managing operation of a distributed system, the operations comprising: making, by a management controller of the first network device, an identification that a control plane of the first network device is suspected of being compromised; identifying, by the management controller and based on the identification, a level of network service provided by a data plane of the first network device and that is governed by a subscription; making, by the management controller, a first determination regarding whether the level of network service is commensurate with the subscription; in a first instance of the first determination where the level of network service is not commensurate with the subscription: identifying, by the management controller, a configuration of the data plane that is out of compliance with the subscription; initiating, at least in part by the management controller and based on the configuration, remote enforcement of the subscription by a second network device to conform operation of the data plane to the subscription to obtain an updated data plane; and providing, by the first network device, network data unit processing services using the updated data plane. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The first network device of claim 18, wherein initiating the remote enforcement comprises: identifying a new subscription for the second network device; and deploying the new subscription to the second network device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The first network device of claim 19, wherein the new subscription is based on the configuration of the data plane.