Semantic API for Automated Overlay-to-Underlay Service Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network service consumption models are strongly coupled, requiring human intervention to map traffic to underlay services, and lack machine-readable intent communication, hindering automated and agile service consumption.
Innovation Solution
A client-server semantic API enables overlay networks to discover and map overlay tunnels to specific underlay services using attachment metadata, allowing machines to communicate service intent and implement services without knowing implementation details.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If protocol-based interworking is used to exchange control and data plane information between overlay and underlay service controllers, then network service consumption is enabled, but the system becomes strongly coupled and requires human intervention for service mapping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the service consumption process into distinct layers: the overlay service controller handles service intent and policy, while the underlay service controller handles transport implementation. This segmentation decouples the systems by separating control plane operations from data plane forwarding, allowing automated service consumption without strong coupling between overlay and underlay controllers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a service usage API as an intermediary interface between the overlay and underlay service controllers. This API enables standardized information exchange for service provisioning while maintaining loose coupling, as each controller operates independently but can communicate through the defined interface when needed.
2Ease of operation
If tools and materials are provided to customers for mapping traffic to underlay services, then service consumption is enabled, but human processing is required and machine-readable intent communication is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the overlay service controller to automatically discover and map services to underlay network services without human intervention. The controller self-provisions services by exchanging information through the service usage API and automatically creating tunnel mappings, eliminating the need for customers to manually process tools and materials for service mapping.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of service information from static tools and materials requiring human interpretation to dynamic, machine-readable parameters exchanged through the service usage API. This allows automated processing of service intent and mapping parameters, converting human-operational processes into machine-executable operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the overlay service controller maps tunnels to underlay services without knowing implementation details, then loose coupling is achieved, but service intent communication must be simplified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential service intent information needed for tunnel mapping, separating it from detailed implementation specifics. The service usage API exchanges high-level service parameters and intent information without requiring the overlay controller to know underlay implementation details, achieving loose coupling while preserving necessary service intent through selective information extraction.
Data Source
AI summary
A device transmits, from an overlay service controller associated with an overlay network to an underlay service controller associated with an underlay network and via a semantic structure defined for a service usage API, a request for a service offered by the underlay network. A device may receive, at the overlay service controller, from the underlay service controller and via the service usage API, attachment metadata. A device may map, based on the attachment metadata and via the overlay service controller, an overlay network tunnel to the service in the underlay network to generate an overlay tunnel mapping, wherein the overlay service controller does not have knowledge of details about implementing the service in order to enable the overlay network to consume the service offered by the underlay network. A device may communicate tunneled packets from the overlay network to the underlay network via the overlay tunnel mapping.