US 2023/0148236 A1 · ON-DEMAND SERVICE INSTANTIATION

Abstract

Techniques for a head-end node in one or more network autonomous systems to utilize a protocol to instantiate services on tail-end nodes. The head-end node can use a service request mechanism that is enabled by the protocol to request service instantiation on the tail-end node without a network operator having to manually configure the tail-end node, or even having access to the tail-end node. Additionally, the protocol may further provide mechanisms to define handling attributes for traffic of the service (e.g., Service-Level Agreement (SLA) parameters, an underlay transport protocol, etc.), service acknowledgement mechanisms for the head-end node to determine that the service was instantiated on the tail-end node, and so forth. In this way, a head-end node can be used to instantiate a service on a tail-end node without a network operator having to have direct access to the tail-end node to manually configure the tail-end node.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for a first router to utilize a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to dynamically request that a second router instantiate a service on the second router, the method comprising:

receiving, at the first router, input from a network operator that causes the service to be instantiated on the first router;
receiving, at the first router, a first BGP message from the second router that indicates one or more capabilities of the second router;
determining, based at least in part on the one or more capabilities, that the second router supports a capability for interpreting a service request to instantiate the service on the second router;
generating, at the first router, a second BGP message that includes a service request indicating service parameters usable by the second router to instantiate the service;
sending, from the first router, the second BGP message to the second router;
receiving, at the first router and from the second router, an acknowledgement packet indicating that the service has been instantiated on the second router;
and
sending, from the first router, data traffic associated with the service via a path and to the second router.

5 more elements

A head-end router comprising:

one or more processors;
and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving input from a network operator that causes a service to be instantiated on the head-end router;
receiving a first Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) message from a tail-end router that indicates one or more capabilities of the tail-end router;
determining, based at least in part on the one or more capabilities, that the tail-end router supports a capability for interpreting a service request to instantiate the service on the tail-end router;
generating a second BGP message that includes a service request indicating service parameters usable by the tail-end router to instantiate the service;
sending the second BGP message to the tail-end router;
receiving, at the head-end router and from the tail-end router, an acknowledgement packet indicating that the service has been instantiated on the tail-end router;
and
sending data traffic associated with the service via a path and to the tail-end router.

8 more elements

A method for a tail-end router to instantiate a service using service parameters provided from a head-end router, the method comprising:

sending, to the head-end router, a first Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) message that indicates one or more capabilities of the tail-end router, the one or more capabilities indicating that the tail-end router is capable of interpreting a service request to instantiate the service;
receiving, from the head-end router, a second BGP message that includes a service request indicating service parameters usable by the tail-end router to instantiate the service;
instantiating the service on the tail-end router based at least in part on the service parameters;
sending, to the head-end router, an acknowledgement message indicating that the service has been instantiated on the tail-end router;
and
communicating data traffic associated with the service via a path and with the head-end router.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

On-demand service instantiation

Life of this patent

On-demand service instantiation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20