# US 9,870,580 B2 · Network-as-a-service architecture

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- Number: US 9,870,580 B2
- Document ID: US9870580B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/271,672
- Filed: 2014-05-07
- Published: 2015-11-12
- Granted: 2018-01-16
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-07
- Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Applicants: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
- Inventors: Ravindra Rao; Ashay Chaudhary; Sandeep Sharma
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9870580B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0281: {Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting}
- G06Q 30/016: After-sales
- G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing
- H04L 41/5054: Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
- H04L 41/5061: characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A system may receive order information that may include information identifying a network service, associated with a service provider network, and a service location associated with the network service. The system may determine context information based on the order information that may include information associated with providing the network service to the service location via the service provider network. The system may generate a service order based on the context information. The system may create a virtual network function (VNF) based on the service request. The VNF may be created such that the VNF operates on a computing device associated with the system, and may be configured to provide the network service. The system may insert the VNF into the service provider network to cause the network service to be provided to the service location. The VNF may interact with a physical device of the service provider network.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
one or more devices to:
receive customer service order information,
the customer service order information including information that identifies a network service and information that identifies a service location associated with the network service, and
the network service being associated with a service provider network; determine context information based on the customer service order information,
the context information including information associated with providing the network service to the service location via the service provider network;
determine provisioning details associated with the context information;
generate a service request based on the context information and the provisioning details,
the context information including information associated with creating a virtual network function (VNF) to provide the network service to the service location via the service provider network;
create the VNF based on the service request,
the VNF being created such that the VNF operates on a computing device associated with the system, and
the VNF to provide the network service;
insert the VNF into the service provider network,
the VNF being inserted to cause the network service to be provided to the service location via the service provider network, and
the VNF interacting with a physical device of the service provider network;
instruct the physical device to send traffic to the VNF;
configure the VNF to:
provide the network service to the traffic received from the physical device, and
send serviced traffic back to the physical device;
instruct the physical device to send the serviced traffic to the service location;
determine performance information associated with the VNF in real-time or on a periodic basis;
determine local analytics information based on the performance information associated with the VNF;
predict a future traffic pattern associated with the VNF based on the local analytics information; and
reconfigure the VNF based on the predicted future traffic pattern in real-time or on a periodic basis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices, when receiving the customer service order information, are to:
determine that the network service is available at the service location; and
provide a notification that the network service is available at the service location,
the notification being provided to notify a customer, associated with the customer service order information, that the network service is available at the service location.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices are further to:
send a request associated with determining the context information; and
determine the context information based on a response to the request.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices, when inserting the VNF into the service provider network, are to:
provide a billing notification, associated with the network service, based on inserting the VNF into the service provider network,
the billing notification being provided to notify a billing device, associated with the service provider network, to initiate billing for the network service.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices are further to:
determine that the customer service order information is complete customer service order information; and
where the one or more devices, when determining the context information, are to:
determine the context information after determining that the customer service order information is complete customer service order information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices are further to:
perform global service assurance based on the local analytics information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, where the one or more devices, when performing the global service assurance, are to:
perform the global service assurance in real time.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices are further to:
perform local service assurance based on the performance information.

### Claim 9

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive order information associated with a network service,
the order information including information that identifies the network service,
the order information including information that identifies a service location associated with the network service, and
the network service being associated with a service provider network;
determine context information associated with the order information,
the context information including information to configure a virtual network function (VNF) such that the network service is provided to the service location via the service provider network;
determine provisioning details associated with the context information
generate a service request based on the context information and the provisioning details,
the context information including information associated with creating the VNF to provide the network service to the service location via the service provider network;
create the VNF based on the service request,
the VNF being created such that the VNF runs on a computing device, and
the VNF to provide the network service;
insert the VNF into the service provider network,
the VNF being inserted into the service provider network to allow the network service to be provided to the service location via the service provider network, and
the VNF interacting with a physical device of the service provider network instruct the physical device to send traffic to the VNF;
configure the VNF to:
provide the network service to the traffic received from the physical device, and
send serviced traffic back to the physical device;
instruct the physical device to send the serviced traffic to the service location;
determine performance information associated with the VNF in real-time or on a periodic basis;
determine that the performance information associated with the VNF does not satisfy a requirement;
determine local analytics information based on the performance information associated with the VNF;
predict a future traffic pattern associated with the VNF based on the local analytics information; and
reconfigure the VNF based on the predicted future traffic pattern in real-time or on a periodic basis.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to receive the order information, cause the one or more processors to:
determine that the network service is available at the service location; and
provide a notification that the network service is available at the service location,
the notification being provided to notify a customer, associated with the order information, that the network service is available at the service location.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to insert the VNF into the service provider network, cause the one or more processors to:
provide a billing notification, associated with the network service, based on inserting the VNF into the service provider network,
the billing notification being provided to notify a billing device, associated with the service provider network, to initiate billing for the network service.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
determine that the order information is complete order information; and
where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the context information, cause the one or more processors to:
determine the context information after determining that the order information is complete order information.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
perform global service assurance based on the local analytics information.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to perform the global service assurance, cause the one or more processors to:
perform the global service assurance in real time.

### Claim 15

A method, comprising:
determining, by one or more devices, customer service order information,
the customer service order information including information that identifies a network service and information that identifies a service location to which the network service is to be provided, and
the network service being associated with a service provider network;
receiving, by the one or more devices, context information associated with the customer service order information;
determining, by the one or more devices, provisioning details associated with the context information;
generating, by the one or more devices, a service request based on the context information and the provisioning details,
the context information including information associated with creating a virtual network function (VNF) to provide the network service to the service location via the service provider network;
causing, by the one or more devices, the VNF to be created based on the service request,
the VNF being created such that the VNF is located on a computing device, and
the VNF to provide the network service; and
causing, by the one or more devices, the VNF to be inserted into the service provider network,
the VNF being inserted such that the network service is provided to the service location via the service provider network, and
the VNF interacting with a physical device of the service provider network;
instructing, by the one or more devices, the physical device to send traffic to the VNF;
configuring, by the one or more devices, the VNF to:
provide the network service to the traffic received from the physical device, and
send serviced traffic back to the physical device;
instructing, by the one or more devices, the physical device to send the serviced traffic to the service location;
determining, by the one or more devices, performance information associated with the VNF in real-time or on a periodic basis;
determining, by the one or more devices, local analytics information based on the performance information associated with the VNF;
predicting, by the one or more devices, a future traffic pattern associated with the VNF based on the local analytics information; and
reconfiguring, by the one or more devices, the VNF based on the predicted future traffic pattern in real-time or on a periodic basis.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, where determining the customer service order information comprises:
determining that the network service is available at the service location; and
providing a notification that the network service is available at the service location,
the notification being provided to notify a customer, associated with the customer service order information, that the network service is available at the service location.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
providing a request associated with determining the context information; and
receiving the context information in a response to the request.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
performing global service assurance based on the local analytics information.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, where performing the global service assurance comprises:
performing the global service assurance in real time.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
performing local service assurance based on the performance information.