Inter-metro Service Chain Controller for Cloud Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Co-location facility providers face challenges in efficiently connecting customers to a diverse range of cloud services across geographically distributed metropolitan areas, requiring complex and costly multiple connections to access the best available services such as firewall, storage, and NAT services.
Innovation Solution
A network controller generates an inter-metropolitan area service chain by determining the best cloud service providers for each service based on performance and cost, using segment routing protocols to create a label stack that steers traffic through the optimal service nodes, allowing customers to access multiple services across different metropolitan areas with a single inter-metro connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If customers establish multiple separate connections to access different cloud services in geographically distributed metropolitan areas, then service availability and diversity are improved, but connectivity complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate service connections into a single unified service chain. The network controller orchestrates multiple service nodes (firewall, storage, NAT services) across different metropolitan areas into one integrated connection path, allowing customers to access diverse cloud services through a single connection rather than establishing separate connections to each service provider.
Solution Approach 2:
The network controller acts as an intermediary that manages and coordinates the service chain. It receives service requests from customers, determines the optimal sequence of service nodes across different metropolitan areas, and establishes the interconnected service chain, thereby simplifying customer operations while maintaining access to multiple services.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customers establish multiple separate connections to access cloud services across different metropolitan areas, then service diversity is improved, but connection costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple service connections into a single service chain that traverses multiple metropolitan areas. By consolidating what would otherwise be separate paid connections into one unified connection path, the solution reduces the total number of connections customers must establish and maintain, thereby reducing connection costs while still providing access to diverse services.
3Device complexity
If a single inter-metro connection is used to access multiple services, then connectivity complexity is reduced, but service performance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the service chain into discrete service nodes (firewall service, storage service, NAT service) located at different metropolitan areas. Each service node operates independently and can be optimized for its specific function. The network controller manages the segmentation and sequencing of these services along the connection path, ensuring that each service maintains its performance characteristics while being part of a unified chain.
Solution Approach 2:
The network controller dynamically adjusts parameters of the service chain such as the sequence of service nodes, bandwidth allocation, and routing paths based on performance requirements. By changing these parameters optimally, the system maintains high service performance across the unified connection, preventing deterioration despite the consolidation of multiple services into a single chain.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques described in this disclosure are directed to a co-location facility provider generating an inter-metropolitan area service chain for application of a plurality of services offered by cloud service providers located in geographically distributed metropolitan areas. In some examples, a method includes receiving, by a controller executing at a computing device of a co-location facilities provider, a request for a plurality of services to be applied to data of a customer; in response to receiving the request, generating, by the controller, a service chain for application of each of the plurality of services provided by a different one of a plurality of cloud service providers, wherein the services are applied by each of the plurality of cloud service providers at co-location facilities in geographically distributed metropolitan areas; and providing, by the controller and to the customer, the service chain for application of the plurality of services.