Telecommunications system employing virtual service network architecture

A telecommunication system adapted to interconnect end-users and comprising a plurality of interconnected virtual service networks (VSN) each associated to a data transport network,

• characterized in that each of said virtual service networks (VSN) is adapted to provide Quality-of-Service (QoS) guarantee for aggregated dataflows,
• in that each of said virtual service networks comprises a virtual service network controller (VSNC) adapted to control the resources of said virtual service network and to perform a per-user admission control on each dataflow wanting to be transferred through said associated data transport network, and
• in that each of said virtual service networks has a reachability agreement providing Quality-of-Service guarantees between end-users of said telecommunication system.

A method to provide a telecommunication system including a virtual service network (VSN) for allocating data network resources to user dataflows in a data transport network, the virtual service network controlling said user dataflows through said data transport network in accordance with agreed Quality-of-Service (QoS) guarantees, the method being characterized in that said virtual service network further establishes user admission criteria (VSN SLA) for controlling the admission of dataflows in said data network.

A method to provide a telecommunication system with a plurality of interconnected virtual service networks (VSN), each virtual service network being associated to a data transport network and controlling user dataflows through its associated data transport network in accordance with agreed Quality-of-Service (QoS) guarantees,

• the method being characterized in that each of said virtual service networks further establishes user admission criteria (VSN SLA) for controlling the admission of dataflows in its associated data transport network, in order to achieve said agreed Quality-of-Service (QoS) guarantees,
• and in that each of said virtual service networks establishes a reachability agreement between end-users, said reachability agreement providing Quality-of-Service guarantees through said telecommunication system.

A method of transmitting dataflows across an inter-domain virtual service network including two or more peering virtual service networks,

• characterized in that Virtual Routing (VR) contexts are installed in association with edge routers (ER) and border routers (BR) of the domain of each virtual service network to ensure internal dataflows within the corresponding virtual service network are contained within the resources allocated to that virtual service network,
• in that internal dataflows are directed to an appropriate edge router or border router determined from the destination address of the dataflow and the Virtual Routing context,
• and in that dataflows which are directed to a border router being transmitted to or through a further virtual service network are controlled within said further virtual service network by further Virtual Routing contexts installed in association with the edge routers or border routers of the domain of said further virtual service network.

A virtual service network (VSN) for providing users with predetermined Quality-of-Service (QoS), the virtual service network being a virtual overlay (30) on a data network (36), the virtual service network including two or more interconnected access points (ER) via which users and/or other hosts are connected to the network,

• characterized in that said virtual service network includes memory means adapted for storing virtual routing tables and information identifying QoS guarantees for each user, and includes a virtual service network controller (VSNC) adapted to allocate network resources on a per-dataflow basis in accordance with the corresponding Quality-of-Service (QoS) guarantees.

A virtual service network controller (VSNC) adapted for controlling dataflows in a virtual service network (VSN) in accordance with predetermined Quality-of-Service (QoS) guarantees,

• characterized in that said controller includes memory means comprising a first storage zone for storing information identifying network availability and a second storage zone for storing information identifying the predetermined Quality-of-Service guarantees,
• and in that said controller is further adapted for controlling the allocation of network resources on a per-dataflow basis in accordance with Quality-of-Service information.

A packet network including two or more virtual service networks, characterized in that, for each virtual service network, edge routers and bridging routers associated with the virtual service network include Virtual Routing contexts unique to that virtual service network, and each said Virtual Routing context containing routing information unique to its virtual service network.