Provider Network Controller for Multi-Vendor Transport Abstraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Service providers face challenges in managing complex network topologies and delivering flexible, high-bandwidth services across disparate physical infrastructures, with existing technologies like MPLS and PBT lacking an interface for composing tunnels through mixed networks, leading to inefficiencies in service innovation and revenue generation.
Innovation Solution
A Provider Network Controller (PNC) is introduced, providing a multi-layer, multi-vendor dynamic control plane that bridges the gap between physical and software infrastructure, enabling path computation and management across Carrier Ethernet, MPLS, and other transport technologies, allowing for flexible service creation and optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If carriers operate separate circuit- and packet-switched networks with tightly coupled services to transport infrastructure, then service delivery is simplified, but flexibility for service innovation and adaptability to different topologies is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network control into three independent topologies (logical, traffic, physical) with separate control planes. The Logical Topology handles service abstraction and endpoint connectivity, the Traffic Topology manages packet routing and bandwidth allocation, and the Physical Topology controls circuit switching infrastructure. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized independently, enabling service innovation without being constrained by underlying transport limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control plane intermediary that acts as a mediator between service layer requirements and transport layer implementation. This intermediary component translates service-level connectivity requests into specific traffic topology routing decisions, which then map to physical circuit switching configurations. The intermediary enables decoupled control, allowing service innovation to proceed independently from transport infrastructure changes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If carriers implement multiple clearly-differentiated services over disparate physical infrastructures, then service portfolio diversity increases, but network management complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal control plane framework that can manage multiple service types (bit-pipe, MPLS, PBT, Ethernet) across different physical infrastructures through a common abstraction layer. The Logical Topology provides a unified service view that works regardless of underlying physical technology, while the Traffic Topology offers a common packet-switching abstraction that can map to various physical implementations. This universality reduces management complexity by providing standardized control mechanisms for diverse services.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameters from physical infrastructure-specific configurations to abstract service-level parameters. Instead of managing services based on their physical implementation details, the system manages them through logical topology abstractions and traffic topology routing decisions. This parameter transformation allows carriers to differentiate services through software configuration rather than physical infrastructure changes, simplifying network management while enabling service diversity.
3Productivity
If carriers reduce operating costs through automation and infrastructure consolidation, then profitability improves, but loss of independent control over network topologies reduces ability to optimize service delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service automation through the control plane's ability to automatically compute optimal paths and provision services based on demand. The system autonomously manages the mapping between logical, traffic, and physical topologies without requiring manual intervention. Service provisioning is automated through algorithmic path computation that considers bandwidth, latency, and infrastructure constraints, while the control plane automatically adjusts routing decisions in response to network conditions, maintaining topology control through automation rather than manual operations.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 1D~1E
AI summary
A Provider Network Controller (PNC) addresses the challenges in building services across Next Generation Network (NGN) architectures and creates an abstraction layer as a bridge, or glue, between the network transport and applications running over it. The PNC is a multi-layer, multi-vendor dynamic control plane that implements service activation and Layer 0-2 management tools for multiple transport technologies including Carrier Ethernet, Provider Backbone Transport (PBT), Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS), Transport MPLS (T-MPLS), optical and integrated networking platforms. Decoupling transport controls and services from the network equipment simplifies service creation and provides options for carriers to choose best-in-class equipment that leverages the PNC to enable rapid creation and management of transports and services. The PNC provides Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) interfaces to abstract transport objects expressly designed to support both wholesale and retail services, and supports service offerings with varied bandwidth and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements, thus achieving enterprise Ethernet economics.