Service Enabled Network Controller Distributes Instructions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network designs, particularly Service Insertion Architecture (SIA), face scalability issues due to overburdening of service nodes and lack of central control and management, leading to complexity and difficulty in deploying new network services and security policies.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a Service Enabled Network (SEN) architecture, which includes a central controller that abstracts network complexity, separates control and data planes, and distributes service instructions via APIs to network access devices, enabling scalable and flexible implementation of network services across the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If network services are implemented using standalone appliances, then service functionality is provided, but device complexity and scalability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments network services into virtual network service instances that can be independently deployed and managed across multiple physical network devices. Each service function is divided into modular components that can be distributed, allowing scalable service delivery without requiring complex standalone appliances for each service.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal service management platform that can host multiple different network services across diverse network devices. The system provides multi-functional capability through virtualization, allowing a single infrastructure to deliver various network services (firewall, load balancing, etc.) without requiring separate specialized appliances for each function.
2Ease of operation
If centralized control is implemented for network services, then service management is simplified, but control plane overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control plane functions from individual network devices and consolidates them into a centralized service management platform. This extraction allows simplified service deployment and management while the distributed data planes on network devices handle local packet forwarding, reducing the overhead burden on any single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a service management platform as an intermediary between the control plane and data plane. This intermediary handles service deployment, configuration, and orchestration, simplifying operations while distributing the computational workload and avoiding excessive overhead on individual network devices.
3Productivity
If service instructions are distributed to multiple access devices, then service scalability is improved, but network topology management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service capabilities where the service management platform automatically discovers network topology, configures access devices, and distributes service instructions without manual intervention. The system autonomously manages the complexity of distributing services across multiple devices, improving deployment efficiency while hiding topology management complexity from operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes feedback mechanisms where access devices report their status, capabilities, and topology information back to the service management platform. This feedback loop enables the platform to automatically adjust service distribution, manage topology changes, and optimize service deployment across the network without increasing operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a service enabled network (SEN) controller receives, from a control plane of a network service device, service instructions for corresponding network services. The SEN controller may then distribute the service instructions for the network services to appropriate network access devices within the computer network, such that each of the network access devices may correspondingly implement the network services at their respective data planes, thus providing a distributed implementation of the network service within the computer network.