Source-Provisioned Services Infrastructure Using BGP Service Requests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network operators face challenges in manually configuring services on edge devices across autonomous systems, which is cumbersome and error-prone, especially when they lack direct access to these devices.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing a routing protocol, such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), to automatically provision services on tail-end nodes by sending instantiation information from a head-end node, including service request attributes and handling parameters, without requiring manual configuration on the tail-end node.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network operators manually configure services on each edge device, then service provisioning can be performed, but the process becomes cumbersome and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The tail-end node automatically provisions services by receiving instantiation information from the head-end node through BGP messaging, eliminating the need for manual configuration operations at the tail-end node while maintaining provisioning accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The head-end node sends service request attributes and handling parameters to the tail-end node through BGP advertisement messages, enabling automatic service propagation with feedback mechanisms that ensure accurate configuration
2Ease of operation
If network operators access each edge device directly for configuration, then services can be instantiated, but access becomes difficult when edge devices reside in different network ASes
Solution Approach 1:
BGP messaging acts as an intermediary mechanism that enables the head-end node to communicate service instantiation information to tail-end nodes across different autonomous systems, eliminating the need for direct operator access to remote devices
Solution Approach 2:
The BGP protocol serves multiple functions including routing information exchange and service provisioning, allowing a single mechanism to handle both traditional routing tasks and modern service configuration across AS boundaries
3Productivity
If manual configuration is performed on every edge device, then service provisioning is possible, but time consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The head-end node prepares and sends complete instantiation information including service request attributes and handling parameters in advance through BGP advertisement messages, enabling the tail-end node to automatically provision services without time-consuming manual configuration
Solution Approach 2:
Service provisioning becomes a continuous automated process where the head-end node continuously advertises instantiation information through BGP updates, eliminating interruptions and delays associated with manual configuration operations
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for a head-end node in one or more network autonomous systems to utilize a protocol to instantiate services on tail-end nodes. The head-end node can use a service request mechanism that is enabled by the protocol to request service instantiation on the tail-end node without a network operator having to manually configure the tail-end node, or even having access to the tail-end node. Additionally, the protocol may provide mechanisms to define handling attributes for traffic of the service (e.g., quality of service (QoS) attributes, Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) settings, etc.), service acknowledgement mechanisms for the head-end node to determine that the service was instantiated on the tail-end node, and so forth. In this way, a head-end node can be used to instantiate a service on a tail-end node without a network operator having to have direct access to the tail-end node to manually configure the tail-end node.