Remote Management of Virtual Network Appliances via Hypervisor Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and cost of maintaining and configuring customer premise equipment (CPE) for network appliances are burdensome due to the need for frequent site visits by technicians, especially with the growing demand for voice, video, and data traffic.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system that remotely manages virtual network appliances (VNAs) using a VNA management platform, which establishes virtual circuits to control and monitor VNAs hosted on servers, allowing for centralized management and reduction of on-site maintenance through virtualization of hardware network appliances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If technicians are sent to customer sites for configuration and maintenance of network appliances, then proper installation and support can be ensured, but operational costs and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the network appliance (virtual network appliance or VNA) that runs on a server at the customer premise. This virtual appliance can be remotely accessed, configured, and maintained by service providers without requiring physical site visits. The VNA replicates the functionality of the physical appliance while enabling remote management capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a service provider network element that acts as an intermediary between the remote service provider and the customer premise equipment. This intermediary enables remote provisioning, configuration, and management of the virtual network appliance through network connections, eliminating the need for direct physical intervention while ensuring proper installation and support.
2Productivity
If more CPE and network appliances are deployed to meet growing traffic demands, then service capacity increases, but maintenance complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple network appliance functions into a single physical device through virtualization. Instead of deploying separate physical appliances for routing, switching, security, and other functions, the system consolidates these into virtual network appliances running on a single server platform. This reduces the number of physical devices while maintaining full service capacity and simplifies maintenance through centralized remote access.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual network appliance platform provides multi-functionality by enabling a single physical server to perform multiple network functions simultaneously. The same infrastructure can host different virtual appliances for routing, firewalls, load balancing, and other services, making the system universally applicable to various network requirements without increasing physical complexity.
3Reliability
If hardware network appliances are used at customer premises, then reliable network services can be provided, but remote management and configuration become costly and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual representation of the network appliance that can be remotely managed. The virtual network appliance maintains the reliability of network services while adding the capability for remote access and management through standard network connections, eliminating the need for physical presence for configuration and maintenance tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of physical site visits with electronic remote access. Instead of technicians physically traveling to customer premises to manage appliances, the system uses network-based remote access mechanisms to provision, configure, and maintain virtual network appliances, substituting mechanical intervention with electronic management.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach for remotely managing virtual network appliances (VNAs) includes establishing a management virtual circuit (VC) to a hypervisor running on a server at a customer premise, remotely deploying one or more VNAs to the hypervisor, and remotely managing the hypervisor and the one or more VNAs via the management VC.