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SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING
A VIRTUAL NETWORK EDGE AND OVERLAY
FIELD
[0002] Embodiments described herein relate generally to network
communications and,
in particular, to aggregating or bonding communications links for a variety of
different networks
including wired and wireless networks, and including Wide Area Networks
("WAN").
INTRODUCTION
[0003] While the capacity of network connections has increased since
the introduction of
dial up, high speed connectivity is not ubiquitous in all regions. Also,
bandwidth is not an
unlimited resource.
[0004] Various solutions exist for improving network performance such as
load
balancing, bonding of links to increase throughput, as well as aggregation of
links. In regards to
bonding/aggregation various different technologies exist that associated two
or more diverse
links (which in this disclosure refers to links associated with different
types of networks and/or
different network carriers) with one another for carrying network traffic
(such as a set of packets)
across such associated links to improve network performance in relation for
such packets.
Examples of such technologies include load balancing, WAN optimization, or
ANATM technology
of TELolP as well as WAN aggregation technologies.
[0005] Many of such technologies for improving network performance are
used
to increase network performance between two or more locations (for example
Location A,
Location
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B, Location N; hereinafter referred to collectively as "Locations"), where
bonding/aggregation of
links is provided at one or more of such locations. While the
bonded/aggregated links provide
significant network performance improvement over the connections available to
carry network
traffic for example from Location A to an access point to the backbone of a
network (whether an
Internet access point, or access point to another data network such as a
private data network,
an MPLS network, or high performance wireless network) ("network backbone"),
the
bonded/aggregated links are generally slower than the network backbone.
[0006] Prior art technologies including bonding/aggregation generally
result in what is
often referred to as "long haul" bonding/aggregation, which means that the
bonded/aggregated
links are maintained for example from Location A and Location B, including
across the network
backbone, which in many cases results in network impedance. As a result, while
bonding/aggregation provides improved network performance for example from
Location A to
the network backbone, network performance across the entire network path for
example from
Location A to Location B, may be less than optimal because the technology in
this case does
not take full advantage of the network performance of the network backbone.
SUMMARY
[0007] In an aspect, embodiments described herein may provide a
network system for
improving network communication performance between at least a first client
site and a second
client site, wherein the first client site and the second client site are at a
distance from one
another that is such that would usually require long haul network
communication. The system
may include at least one client site network component implemented at least at
the first client
site, the client site network component bonding or aggregating one or more
diverse network
connections so as to configure a bonded/aggregated connection that has
increased throughput.
The system may include at least one network server component configured to
connect to the
client site network component using the bonded/aggregated connection, the
network server
component including at least one concentrator element implemented at a network
access point
to at least one network, the network server component automatically
terminating the
bonded/aggregated connection and passing data traffic to the network access
point to the at
least one network. The system may include a virtual edge connection providing
at least one of
transparent lower-link encryption and lower-link encapsulation using a common
access protocol
for the bonded/aggregated connection between the client site network component
and the
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network server component. The system may include a cloud network controller
configured to
manage the data traffic so as to provide a managed network overlay that
incorporates the virtual
edge connection and at least one long haul network path carried over the at
least one network.
[0008] In accordance with some embodiments, the network server
component may
.. include a first concentrator element implemented at the network access
point to the at least one
network and a second concentrator element implemented at another network
access point to at
least one other network. The first concentrator element and the second
concentrator element
may be configured to interoperate to provide a virtual core connection between
the network
access point and the other network access point, the virtual core connection
providing another
bonded/aggregated connection. The cloud network controller may be configured
to manage the
data traffic so as to provide the managed network overlay that incorporates
the virtual edge
connection, the virtual core connection and the at least one long haul network
path carried over
the at least one network and the at least one other network.
[0009] In accordance with some embodiments, the virtual core
connection may provide
at least one of the transparent lower-link encryption and the lower-link
encapsulation using the
common access protocol for the other bonded/aggregated connection.
[0010] In accordance with some embodiments, the network server
component may have
at least one other concentrator element, the at least one other concentrator
element bonding or
aggregating one or more other diverse network connections so as to configure
another
.. bonded/aggregated connection that has increased throughput, the other
bonded/aggregated
connection connecting the at least one concentrator element and the at least
one other
concentrator element.
[0011] In accordance with some embodiments, the cloud network
controller may be
configured to manage the data traffic so as to provide the managed network
overlay that
incorporates the bonded/aggregated connection and the other bonded/aggregated
connection.
[0012] In accordance with some embodiments, the client site network
component may
be configured to separate lower-link data traffic and encapsulate data packets
of the lower-link
data traffic using the common access protocol for the bonded/aggregated
connection.
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[0013] In accordance with some embodiments, the client site network
component may
be configured with a route to the at least one network server component to
separate the lower-
link traffic to prepare the data traffic for the bonded/aggregated connection
or the managed
network overlay.
[0014] In accordance with some embodiments, the route is a static route, a
dynamic
route or a route from a separate or independent virtual routing forwarding
table.
[0015] In accordance with some embodiments, the network server
component is
configured to connect with an intelligent packet distribution engine that
manages data packets
transmission over the at least one long haul network path by obtaining data
traffic parameters
and, based on the data traffic parameters and performance criteria,
selectively applies one or
more techniques to alter the traffic over the at least one long haul network
path to conform to
the data traffic parameters.
[0016] In accordance with some embodiments, the network server
component is
configured to provide Multi-Directional Pathway Selection (MOPS) for pre-
emptive failover using
.. echo packets received from the client site network component.
[0017] In accordance with some embodiments, the network server
component is
configured to provide an intelligent packet distribution engine (IPDE) for
packet distribution with
differing speed links using weighted packet distribution and for bi-
directional (inbound and
outbound) QoS.
[0018] In accordance with some embodiments, the first client site and the
second client
site are at a distance from one another such that data traffic transmission
between the first client
site and the second client site is subject to long haul effects.
[0019] In accordance with some embodiments, each of the least one
network server
components is accessible to a plurality of client site network components,
each client site
network component being associated with a client site location.
[0020] In accordance with some embodiments, the system may have a
network
aggregation device that: (A) configures a plurality of dissimilar network
connections or network
connections provided by a plurality of diverse network carriers ("diverse
network connections")
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as one or more aggregated groups, at least one aggregated group creating the
bonded/aggregated connection that is a logical connection of the plurality of
diverse
connections; and (B) routes and handles bi-directional transmissions over the
aggregated
network connection; wherein two or more of the diverse network connections
have dissimilar
network characteristics including variable path bidirectional transfer rates
and latencies; wherein
the logical connection is utilizable for a transfer of communication traffic
bidirectionally on any of
the diverse network connections without any configuration for the dissimilar
network
connections or by the diverse network carriers; and wherein the network
aggregation engine
includes or is linked to a network aggregation policy database that includes
one or more
network aggregation policies for configuring the aggregated groups within
accepted tolerances
so as to configure and maintain the aggregated network connection so that the
logical
connection has a total communication traffic throughput that is a sum of
available
communication traffic throughputs of the aggregated group of diverse network
connections.
[0021] In another aspect, embodiments described herein may provide a
client site
.. network component implemented at least at least a first client site in
network communication
with a second client site, wherein the first client site and the second client
site are at a distance
from one another that is such that would usually require long haul network
communication, the
client site network component bonding or aggregating one or more diverse
network connections
so as to configure a bonded/aggregated connection that has increased
throughput, the client
site network component configured to connect to at least one network server
component
implemented at an access point to at least one wide area network, the network
server
component automatically terminating the bonded/aggregated connection and
passing the data
traffic to an access point to at least one wide area network, the client site
network component
configuring a virtual edge providing at least one of transparent lower-link
encryption and lower-
link encapsulation using a common access protocol for the bonded/aggregated
connection.
[0022] In accordance with some embodiments, the client site network
component may
be configured to separate lower-link data traffic and use the common access
lower-link protocol
for encapsulation of data packets of the lower-link data traffic for the
bonded/aggregated
connection.
[0023] In accordance with some embodiments, the client site network
component may
configure a route to the at least one network server component to separate the
lower-link traffic
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to prepare the data traffic for the bonded/aggregated connection or the
managed network
overlay.
[0024] In accordance with some embodiments, the route may be a static
route, a
dynamic route or a route from a separate or independent virtual routing
forwarding table.
[0025] In accordance with some embodiments, the client site network
component may
be configured to transmit echo packets to the network server component to
provide Multi-
Directional Pathway Selection for pre-emptive failover using the echo packets.
[0026] In accordance with some embodiments, the client site network
component may
be further configured to provide IPDE for packet distribution with differing
speed links using
weighted packet distribution and for bi-directional (inbound and outbound)
QoS.
[0027] In another aspect, there is provided a network server
component configured to
interoperate with a client site network component at a first client site to
bond or aggregate one
or more diverse network connections so as to configure a bonded/aggregated
connection that
has increased throughput, the network server component including at least one
concentrator
element implemented at a network access point to at least one network, the
network server
component automatically terminating the bonded/aggregated connection and
passing data
traffic to the network access point to the at least one network for data
transmission to a second
client site, the first client site and the second client site at a distance
from one another that is
such that would usually require long haul network communication, the network
server
component configuring a virtual edge connection providing at least one of
transparent lower-link
encryption and lower-link encapsulation using a common access protocol for the
bonded/aggregated connection, the network server component in communication
with a cloud
network controller configured to manage the data traffic so as to provide a
managed network
overlay that incorporates the virtual edge connection and at least one long
haul network path
carried over the at least one network.
[0028] In accordance with some embodiments, the network server
component may have
a first concentrator element implemented at the network access point to the at
least one network
and a second concentrator element implemented at another network access point
to at least
one other network. The first concentrator element and the second concentrator
element are
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configured to interoperate to provide a virtual core connection between the
network access point
and the other network access point, the virtual core connection providing
another
bonded/aggregated connection. The cloud network controller is configured to
manage the data
traffic so as to provide the managed network overlay that incorporates the
virtual edge
connection, the virtual core connection and the at least one long haul network
path carried over
the at least one network and the at least one other network.
[0029] In accordance with some embodiments, the network server
component may be
configured to use the common access lower-link protocol for encapsulation of
data packets of
the lower-link data traffic for the bonded/aggregated connection.
[0030] In accordance with some embodiments, the network server component
may be
configured to receive echo packets from the client site network component to
provide Multi-
Directional Pathway Selection (MDPS) for pre-emptive failover using the echo
packets.
[0031] In accordance with some embodiments, the network server
component may be
configured to provide IPDE for packet distribution with differing speed links
using weighted
packet distribution and for bi-directional (inbound and outbound) QoS.
[0032] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of
the invention in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its
application to the details of
construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the
following description or
illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and
of being
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that
the phraseology and
terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not
be regarded as
limiting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] Examples of embodiments of the invention will now be described
in greater detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0034] FIG. 1a illustrates a prior art network configuration that
includes a
bonded/aggregated network connection. FIG. 1a illustrates an example problem
of long haul
aggregation/bonding.
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[0035] FIG. lb also illustrates a prior art network configuration that
includes central
management of bonded/aggregated network connections, which also shows the
problem of
long-haul aggregation/ bonding with multiple customer sites.
[0036] FIG. I c illustrates a prior art MPLS network configuration
with IPSEC embedded.
[0037] FIG. 2a shows a network solution in accordance with an embodiment of
the
present invention, with bonding/aggregation implemented at both Site A and
Site B, while
minimizing long haul effects based on the technology of the present invention.
[0038] FIG. 2b shows another network solution in accordance with an
embodiment of
the present invention, in which bonded/aggregated network service exists at
Site A but not at
Site B.
[0039] FIG. 2c shows a still other network solution in accordance with
an embodiment of
the present invention, in which bonding/aggregation is implemented as between
Site A, Site B,
and Site C.
[0040] FIG. 2d shows a further implementation of the network
architecture of an
embodiment of the present invention, in which a plurality of
servers/concentrators are
implemented as part of a Point-of-Presence.
[0041] FIG. 2e shows a network solution with bonding/aggregation
implemented at both
Site A, Headquarter (HQ) A and Site C to connect to a network connecting to
Headquarter (HQ)
B, Headquarter (HQ) C, and Site B.
[0042] FIG. 2f shows a network solution with bonding/aggregation
implemented at Site
A, Site B, Site C, Site D, HQ A, HQ C and Site E to connect to a first MPLS
network from a first
provider connecting and a second MPLS network from a second provider.
[0043] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication device
incorporating a particular
embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the device as an aggregation means
on the
client/CPE-CE side of a network connection.
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[0044] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a communication device
incorporating a particular
embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the device as an aggregation means
on the
server/concentrator side of a network connection and an MPLS data store.
[0045] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a communication network
incorporating a particular
embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the device as an aggregation means
on both the
client/CPE-CE side and server/concentrator or CCPE side of a network
connection.
[0046] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method of providing redundancy
and increased
throughput through a plurality of network connections in an aggregated network
connection.
[0047] FIG. 7a illustrates a prior art network architecture where long
haul effects apply,
and presents network performance based on download speed.
[0048] FIG. 7b illustrates, in similar network conditions as in FIG.
7a but implementing
the present invention in order to reduce long haul bonding/aggregation,
improved network
performance based on faster download speed.
[0049] Fig. 8a illustrates a network solution with aggregated/ bonded
connections with a
virtual edge in accordance with one embodiment.
[0050] Fig. 8b illustrates another network solution with aggregated/
bonded connections
with a virtual edge in accordance with another embodiment.
[0051] Fig. 9a illustrates a network solution with aggregated/ bonded
connections with a
virtual edge and two virtual core connections in accordance with one
embodiment.
[0052] Fig. 9b illustrates a network solution with aggregated/ bonded
connections with a
virtual edge and one virtual core connection in accordance with one
embodiment.
[0053] Fig. 9c illustrates another network solution with aggregated/
bonded connections
with a virtual edge and a virtual core connection in accordance with another
embodiment.
[0054] Fig. 10 illustrates a Virtual Network with aggregated/ bonded
connections with
Virtual Network Overlay and private backhaul options in accordance with one
embodiment.
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[0055] Fig. 11 illustrates an example of the Virtual Network Overlay
framework is
illustrated in accordance with one embodiment.
[0056] Fig. 12 illustrates another Virtual Network Overlay with
aggregated/ bonded
connections and private backhaul options in accordance with one embodiment.
[0057] Fig. 13a illustrates a network solution where IPSEC encryption is
used for Lower-
Link transport, in accordance with one embodiment.
[0058] Fig. 13b illustrates another network solution where IPSEC
encryption is used for
Lower-Link transport, in accordance with one embodiment.
[0059] Fig. 14 illustrates a network solution in a star topology in
accordance with one
embodiment.
[0060] Fig. 15 illustrates a network solution in a full mesh topology
in accordance with
one embodiment.
[0061] Fig. 16 illustrates a network solution with third party routers
in accordance with
one embodiment.
[0062] Fig. 17 illustrates a transparent encrypted transport of virtual
core connections
between PoPs for each customer and multiple CPE devices connecting on either
side of the
virtual core connections in accordance with one embodiment.
[0063] Fig. 18 illustrates BIRD and OSPF (or RIP) with multi-Fib
support and filters for
each FIB in accordance with one embodiment.
[0064] Fig. 19a illustrates exemplary relationship diagrams for cloud
manager 140 and
SCN Database and tables.
[0065] Fig. 19b illustrates additional relationship diagrams for cloud
manager 140 and
SCN Database and tables.
[0066] Fig. 20 illustrates a CPE node using a corporate Active
Directory security, or
Customer RADIUS database for assigning users in accordance with one
embodiment.
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[0067] Fig. 21a illustrates an exemplary block diagram for
implementation of VLAN as
GE interfaces.
[0068] Fig. 21b illustrates an exemplary block diagram for driver
customization.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0069] Embodiments may provide network infrastructure with utilization
of diverse
carriers and diverse connections via high-quality link aggregation in
combination with a secured
and trusted virtual network overlay. The virtual network overlay may provide a
managed and
encrypted connection of virtual links to provide a virtual WAN, for example.
Wide Area Networks ("WAN")
[0070] A Wide Area Network ("WAN") is a network that covers a wide or
broad
geographic area that may span cities, regions, countries, or the world. The
Internet may be
viewed as a WAN, for example. A WAN may be used to transmit data over long
distances and
connect different networks, including Personal Area Networks ("PAN"), Local
Area Networks
("LAN"), or other local or regional network. A WAN may connect physically
disparate networks
and different types of networks that may be local or remote. An Enterprise WAN
may refer to a
private WAN built for a specific enterprise often using leased or private
lines or circuit-switching
or packet-switching methods.
Multi-Protocol Label Switch (MPLS)
[0071] Multi-Protocol Label Switch (MPLS) is a technology framework
developed by the
Internet Engineering Task Force. MPLS can be a WAN virtualization using
virtual routing and
forwarding. The technology may be used to build carrier and enterprise
networks, implemented
with routers and switches. Notably, MPLS is protocol independent and can map
IP addresses
to MPLS labels. MPLS improves network performance by forwarding packets (e.g.
IP packets)
from one network node to the next based on short path labels, avoiding complex
lookups in a
routing table. MPLS utilizes the concept of labels to direct data traffic, as
a label associated
with a packet generally contains the information required to direct the packet
within an MPLS
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network. Generally speaking, a packet can enter an MPLS network through an
MPLS ingress
router or a provider edge / point-of-entry (PE) router, which encapsulates the
packet with the
appropriate labels. As the packet is transmitted along the MPLS network paths,
various nodes
in the network forward the packet based on the content of the labels.
Sometimes a label switch
router (LSR) switches or swaps the label(s) on a packet as it forwards the
packet to the next
node. When the packet leaves the MPLS network, an MPLS egress router or a
provider edge
(PE) router removes the label(s) from the packet and sends it on its way to
the final destination.
Typically, provider edge (PE) routers or their equivalent network elements sit
on the edge of an
MPLS network and act as an interface between the customer-side network and the
MPLS core
network. PE routers, as described above, can add or remove label(s) to
incoming and exiting
packets or data traffic. A single PE router may be connected to one or more
customer
networks. Within the MPLS core network, label switch routers (LSRs) receive
incoming packets
and route or forward the packets in accordance with their respective label
information. LSRs
can also swap or add label(s) to each packet.
[0072] A customer who wishes to connect to an MPLS network may employ the
use of
customer edge (CE) routers or their equivalent network elements, which can be
located on the
customer premises. The CE routers can connect to one or more PE routers, which
in turn
connects to the MPLS core network.
[0073] MPLS can deliver a range of benefits to customers, including:
convergence of
voice and data networking, high performance for mission-critical and cloud
applications, easy-
to-manage or fully managed environments reducing operating cost, SLA based
assurances, and
so on. MPLS can be delivered with a variety of access technologies such as
1ayer2, 1ayer3, on
the edge over the internet via IPSEC, and so on. In addition, MPLS itself is
trending as a core
networking technology with options to establish access edge points.
[0074] Routers may be any device including, without limitation, a router,
switch, server,
computer or any network equipment that provides routing or package forwarding
capacity.
Routers may or may not have routing tables. Routers may be implemented in
hardware,
software, or a combination of both. Routers may also be implemented as a cloud
service and
remotely configurable.
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IPVPN/ IPSEC
[0075] To improve security and confidentiality of data communicated
over an MPLS
network, Internet Protocol Security (IPSEC), a protocol suite for securing IP
communication,
may be adapted in addition to an MPLS network. With IPSEC VPN, the MPLS
network is
considered secured and trusted. IPSEC gateways can be any network equipment
such as
computers, servers, routers, or special IPSEC devices. IPSEC VPN is typically
provisioned
using a CE router connected to a broadband internet circuit. Alternatively,
IPSEC may be
implemented at the PE routers or device. AN MPLS network with IPSEC features
is also
sometimes also referred to as an IPSEC VPN or IPVPN network.
[0076] For example, IPSEC VPN can access MPLS networks on the edge, which
may
be a low cost approach for branch connectivity. However, while typical IPSEC
VPN can offer
low price tag and reach, it lacks traffic prioritization/CoS capabilities and
may be hindered by
poor provider Service Level Agreement (SLA) and/or Mean Time to Repair (MTTR).
IPSEC
VPN for MPLS Edge has not been innovated.
[0077] Generally speaking, the MPLS market in North America is growing
quickly,
however, price of MPLS is suffering from commoditization of private networks
and from
customer demand for lower prices. Despite such constraints, purchasing MPLS
network can be
as much as 30% more expensive compared to getting typical broadband network.
Many
customers are seeking an IPVPN solution with a lower price tag and increased
bandwidth. For
example, many MPLS customers seek an IPVPN backup solution on top of their
primary
network. These customers may also desire alternative network providers,
technologies and
implementations (e.g. 4G, other broadband solutions). Today IPVPN is typically
purchased for
cost and reach. However, IPVPN has numerous drawbacks such as the lack of
traffic
prioritization and CoS capabilities. IPVPN can also be hindered by poor
provider service-level
agreement (SLA) and mean time to repair (MTTR) on a given service or provider.
There is thus
a need for an innovative network solution that provides better network
performance and quality
of service.
LINK AGGREGATION WITH MPLS
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[0078] For customers who want to have an end-to-end VPN or MPLS
network, at least
one issue with MPLS networks is that they do not typically extend to the
actual customer or
client sites as the PE or ingress routers defining the "edge" of the MPLS
network core are
typically situated at network providers' premises. In order to maintain the
high level of
performance provided by an MPLS (with or without IPSEC) network, a solution is
required to
connect the client site to the MPLS network at the PE routers. To date, some
form of link
aggregation technology has been occasionally adapted to fill the gap between
the MPLS PE
routers and the actual client site(s). However, in the current state of the
art, most link
aggregation technologies cannot connect to dissimilar or diverse carriers or
connections.
[0079] An MPLS network or Enterprise WAN is typically sold as a private
product or
service and thus cannot offer diverse carriers or network providers, but
rather require physical
local loop to the end customer using the same carrier or network provider.
[0080] In a market research, drivers for corporations to choose a
network architecture
solution may include:
= Demand for low-cost IP network services to converge business applications
= Support for multiple access technologies
= Cost competitiveness against MPLS and IPVPN
= Support for traffic prioritization
[0081] Reasons for deploying a network architecture solution may
include:
= Improved operational efficiency/lower OPEX
= Improved service scalability (quick & simplified service deployment)
= Link major company sites/facilities
= Consolidate converged applications (voice, data, Internet, video)
= Focus on core business while provider manages the routing
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= Reduce IT/Telecom staff
[0082] Criteria for selecting WAN network architecture solution and
services may
include:
= Security
= Price and pricing structure complexity
= Service reliability/QoS
= Adequate guaranteed bandwidth
= Service availability at key sites (geographic reach)
= Performance/SLA guarantees
= Operation/OPEX costs
= lnteroperability with existing network and access services
= Self-service portals and customer support/customer care
= Flexibility/scalability (quick service provisioning/bandwidth changes)
= CAPEX/equipment costs (including ability to leverage existing CPE)
[0083] Examples are described herein in relation to MPLS as an illustrative
example
transport mechanism where data packets are assigned labels. This is an example
only and
other transport mechanisms may be used with different labeling or
encapsulation techniques.
[0084] The embodiments of the systems and methods described herein
may be
implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of both. These
embodiments may be
implemented in computer programs executing on programmable computers, each
computer
including at least one processor, a data storage system (including volatile
memory or non-
volatile memory or other data storage elements or a combination thereof), and
at least one
communication interface. For example, and without limitation, the various
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computers may be a server, network appliance, set-top box, embedded device,
computer
expansion module, personal computer, laptop, personal data assistant, cellular
telephone,
smartphone device, UMPC tablets and wireless hypermedia device or any other
computing
device capable of being configured to carry out the methods described herein.
[0085] Program code is applied to input data to perform the functions
described herein
and to generate output information. The output information is applied to one
or more output
devices, in known fashion. In some embodiments, the communication interface
may be a
network communication interface. In embodiments in which elements of the
invention are
combined, the communication interface may be a software communication
interface, such as
those for inter-process communication (IPC). In still other embodiments, there
may be a
combination of communication interfaces implemented as hardware, software, and
combination
thereof.
[0086] Each program may be implemented in a high level procedural or
object oriented
programming or scripting language, or both, to communicate with a computer
system.
However, alternatively the programs may be implemented in assembly or machine
language, if
desired. The language may be a compiled or interpreted language. Each such
computer
program may be stored on a storage media or a device (e.g., ROM, magnetic
disk, optical disc),
readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer, for
configuring and
operating the computer when the storage media or device is read by the
computer to perform
the procedures described herein. Embodiments of the system may also be
considered to be
implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, configured
with a
computer program, where the storage medium so configured causes a computer to
operate in a
specific and predefined manner to perform the functions described herein.
[0087] Furthermore, the systems and methods of the described
embodiments are
capable of being distributed in a computer program product including a
physical, non-transitory
computer readable medium that bears computer usable instructions for one or
more processors.
The medium may be provided in various forms, including one or more diskettes,
compact disks,
tapes, chips, magnetic and electronic storage media, volatile memory, non-
volatile memory and
the like. Non-transitory computer-readable media may include all computer-
readable media,
with the exception being a transitory, propagating signal. The term non-
transitory is not
intended to exclude computer readable media such as primary memory, volatile
memory, RAM
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and so on, where the data stored thereon may only be temporarily stored. The
computer
useable instructions may also be in various forms, including compiled and non-
compiled code.
[0088] As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the
term "coupled to"
is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are
coupled to each other
contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional
element is located
between the two elements). Therefore, the terms "coupled to" and "coupled
with" are used
synonymously.
MPLS EDGE
[0089] Some embodiments may involve an MPLS network as an example
network.
MPLS Edge is an improved alternative to IPSEC VPN on the MPLS network. In one
aspect,
Autonomous Network Aggregation (ANA) or a network bonding/aggregation
technology can be
used as part of a hybrid solution to extend an MPLS network, allowing partners
to use lower-
cost broadband connectivity while maintaining the quality and reliability of
an MPLS service. In
another aspect, MPLS Edge virtualizes MPLS over network bonding/aggregation on
the edge of
carrier infrastructures, delivering MPLS labels to the customer premises
equipment or device
coupled with network bonding/aggregation. For example, cloud concentrators in
ANA or a link
aggregation system may act as an MPLS PE (Provider Edge) router on the edge of
the network.
[0090] Most existing prior art link aggregation technologies cannot
connect to dissimilar
or diverse network carriers or connections. In addition, MPLS network is
typically sold as a
private product or service and thus cannot offer diverse carriers or network
providers, but rather
require physical local loop to the end customer using the same carrier or
network provider.
Using the network bonding/ aggregation technology with MPLS network as
described herein
allows for the utilization of diverse carriers and diverse connections via
high-quality link
aggregation in combination with a secured and trusted MPLS network.
[0091] MPLS Edge technology can extend an MPLS network to the customer's
LAN as
a private service offering that can deliver consolidated WAN, VolP, and
Internet access.
[0092] In one aspect of embodiments described herein, a system and
network
architecture is provided for aggregating multiple network access connections
from similar or
diverse carriers to create a new aggregated connection that accommodates
greater speed and
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high availability characteristics, and that connects to an MPLS network via
customer premises
equipment (CPE-CE) or cloud concentrator/ provider equipment (CCPE).
[0093]
In another aspect of embodiments described herein, a network solution is
provided for improving network communication performance between at least two
sites, where
the two sites are at a distance from one another that is such that would
usually require long haul
network communication.
The network solutions includes at least one network
bonding/aggregation system that includes (A) at least one first network
component that is
implemented at a first service site, the first network component being
configured to bond or
aggregate one or more diverse network connections so as to configure a
bonded/aggregated
connection that has increased throughput; and (B) a second network component,
configured to
interoperate with the first network component, the second network component
including a
server/concentrator (also referred to as network server component) that is
implemented at an
access or point-of-entry point to a multiple protocol label switching network.
Multiprotocol label
switching (MPLS) is a network mechanism that directs data between network
using path labels
rather than network addresses, avoiding complex routing table lookups. The
labels identify
virtual links or paths between nodes rather than endpoints. MPLS can
encapsulate packets of
various network protocols and supports a range of access technologies. As will
be described
herein, embodiments described herein may provide a virtual edge provide
encryption over the
bonded/aggregated network connection.
[0094] In one aspect, the first network component may be implemented using
what is
called in this disclosure a "CPE-CE" or customer premises equipment (also
referred to as
customer edge (CE) router or client site network component). The CPE-CE and a
server/concentrator (also known as a Cloud Concentrator Provider Equipment
CCPE)
component (more fully described below) interoperate to configure the
bonded/aggregated
connections in order to provide improved network connections at a site
associated with the
CPE-CE. The CPE-CE may involve a third party router that may be particularly
configured in
accordance with embodiments to provide the bonded/aggregated network
connection. This
configuration may involve separating lower-link data traffic on third party
routers by removing
default routing information and adding routes on each respective lower-link
for the
corresponding concentrator lower-link IP address. This configuration may
further involve using
a common access protocol for encapsulation of lower-link data packets. Further
configuration
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details are described herein. The CPE-CE may be implemented using a virtual
edge, as will be
described herein.
[0095]
In one aspect of the embodiments described herein, the server/concentrator is
implemented at an access or point-of-entry point to an MPLS network or other
network, with
access to the network backbone provided by an MPLS networking solution so as
to provide a
high-quality, end-to-end, secured network connection. The server/concentrator
may provide a
bridge between the bonded/aggregated network and the broadband network portion
to deliver
MPLS to the CPE. The server/concentrator may be configured to operate as a
provider edge or
point-of-entry (PE) router on the MPLS network. As will be described below,
MPLS is protocol
independent and supports a bonded/aggregated network supported protocol. This
is an
example protocol described for illustrative purpose.
[0096]
The server/concentrator may also support lower-link encapsulation to be
compatible with CPE-CE routers that are configured to provide separation and
encapsulation of
lower-link data traffic.
[0097] In addition, the server/concentrator may be implemented as a cloud
service, a
cluster service or simply a cluster hosted in cloud, or a router server
configured based on
certain configurations. It may also be referred to as a cluster or a cloud
concentrator throughout
this application. The clusters or cloud concentrators may serve multiple CPE-
CEs. A client site
may have multiple CPE-CEs and a cluster can serve multiple client sites. The
clusters or cloud
concentrators may also communicate with one another on a basis of multiple
points-of-presence
("Multi- POP"), as will be described below.
[0098]
In another embodiment, the server/concentrator (or network server component)
may be remotely or closely coupled with one or more CPE-CEs, and comprise of
software, or
entirely of hardware, or include both software and hardware components.
The
server/concentrator may be implemented to one or more server computers, or may
be
implemented as an interconnected network of computer residing at the same or
different
physical locations, and connected to one or more CPE-CEs and the core network
(e.g. MPLS or
other protocol) through one or more trusted network connections. The
server/concentrator can
interoperate with CPE-CEs and/or the other components in the network
architecture in order to
deliver the functionalities described herein.
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[0099] Network architectures that involve long-haul bonded/aggregated
network
communication result in less than optimal performance, thereby minimizing the
advantages of
the bonding/aggregation technology. In other words, while the
bonding/aggregation technology
may improve service to Site A associated with for example a CPE (or equivalent
to customer
premises equipment), based on bonding/aggregation between the CPE and an
associated
server/concentrator (or equivalent such as a cloud concentrator), overall
performance may be
less than desired and in fact may be less than what would be available without
bonding/aggregation because of the long haul effects of carrying the
bonded/aggregated from
Site A, to at least Site B. These long haul effects will present wherever Site
A and at least Site
B are at a substantial distance from one another. The Example in Operation
described below
illustrates the decrease in performance that results from the long haul
effects. In one exemplary
embodiment of the invention, the COPE may be implemented with virtualization
software such
as vmWare, vSphere5, Citrix Xen, and so on.
[00100] Referring now to FIG. 1 a, which illustrates the problem of
long haul
aggregation/bonding generally. In a bonded/aggregated network communication
shown in FIG.
I a, packets are carried over the Internet through an extension of the
bonded/aggregated
connection across the Internet (102), rather than a high performing Internet
core network such
as an MPLS core network. The bonded/aggregated connection, across a distance
that is
subject to long haul effects, will not perform as well as the Internet,
thereby providing less than
ideal performance.
[00101] Another problem with some bonding/aggregation solutions is
that they generally
require control or management by a central server. Depending on the location
of the central
server, this can result in multiplying the long haul effects because traffic
between Site A and Site
B may need to also be transferred to a Site C that is associated with the
central server. This
aspect of the prior art technology is illustrated for example in FIG. lb.
Central server (104)
manages network communications, and routes network communications between Site
A and
Site C. To the extent that the distance between central servers (104) is
substantial from either
of Site A or Site C, long haul effects will present. If central server (104)
is at a substantial
distance from each of Site A and Site C, then there will be a multiplying of
the long haul effects,
as network traffic will pass from Site A to the central server (104) to Site
C, and from Site C to
the central server (104) to Site A.
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[00102] As illustrated in the Example in Operation described below,
long haul effects
have a negative impact on speed (slowing traffic) and also on latency.
Conversely,
embodiments of the present invention may provide significant improvements in
regards to both
speed and latency.
[00103] Embodiments of the present invention provide a network solution,
including a
network system and architecture and associated networking method that
addresses the
aforesaid long haul effects that have a negative effect on performance.
[00104] Fig. 1c illustrates a prior art MPLS network configuration
with IPSEC embedded
therein. In the prior art MPLS network shown in FIG. 1c, packets are carried
over the Internet
through a single connection such as DSL or cable, from Branch Customers A or B
(e.g. Sites A
or B) to one PE router of MPLS. An IPSEC tunnel may be implemented between the
Branch
Customers A or B to the MPLS PE router, and terminated immediately before or
at the PE
router. The PE router therefore fulfills two tasks: IPSEC remote access
termination and
providing an MPLS PE router. IPSEC in this prior art configuration serves
mainly as a secure
access method into the MPLS network. The protection of IPSEC secures the data
on transport
over any untrusted infrastructure, such as public WIFI hot spots or DSL
Internet.
[00105] As can be seen from FIG. lc, the network path from Branch
Customer A or B to
IPSEC Termination may be over a sole connection that can be, for example, a
cable or a DSL
connection. If the cable connection from Branch Customer A fails for any
reason, then that
customer would not be able to connect to the MPLS network as there is no
alternative Internet
connection available. In contrast, embodiments of the present invention
provide significant
improvements in regards to a number of additional features such as bi-
directional
communication, failover protection and diversity of carriers.
[00106] Though not illustrated here, it is understood that IPSEC
tunnel may also be
implemented from one PE router to another PE router over the MPLS network core
or from
Branch Customer A to HQ Customer B (CPE-CE to CPE-CE). Regardless of the
particular
configuration of IPSEC over MPLS, MPLS networks with embedded IPSEC are very
costly to
set up, difficult to maintain and reconfigure, and generally leave much to be
desired in terms of
carrier diversity, failover protection, aggregated bandwidth, bi-directional
communication, quality
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of service (QoS), prevention of dropped calls, application acceleration, and
scoring of quality of
experience (QoE), to name a few.
[00107]
As shown in FIG. 2a, in one aspect of embodiments described herein, the
server/concentrator (or otherwise known as cloud concentrator) side of a
bonding/aggregation
network solution for Site A (120a) is implemented such that (A) the location
of the cloud
concentrator (110a) is implemented with access to the network core of MPLS
(112), and (B) the
cloud concentrator (110a) includes functionality for (i) receiving packets by
means of the
bonded/aggregated connection (116a), (ii) interrupting the bonded/aggregated
connection
(116a) using an interrupter (118), and (iii) directing the packets (114) to
the MPLS (112) for
delivery to a Site B (120b). In the case of (iii) directing the packets (114)
to the MPLS (112), the
cloud concentrator (110a) is also acting as the PE router of MPLS (112). The
cloud
concentrator (or the sewer/concentrator) (110a) thus is also known as the
cloud concentrator
provider edge or the cloud concentrator point-of-entry (CCPE) of the MPLS. If
Site B also has
bonded/aggregated network service, then the packets are delivered to a Site B
side cloud
concentrator or CCPE (110b). The
CCPE (110b) can then establish a further
bonded/aggregated connection (116b) and directs the packets (114) via the
bonded/aggregated
connection (116b) to a CPE-CE (B) (124b) at Site B.
[00108]
In some embodiment, the MPLS network 112 may also be Wide Area Network
WAN 112.
[00109] FIG.
2b illustrates a configuration where bonded/aggregated network service
exists at Site A but not at Site B.
[00110]
More than two sites are possible, where the network system of an embodiment
improves network performance for network communications between for example
Site A, Site B,
and Site C where one or more sites will include bonded/aggregated service. In
one
implementation, as shown in FIG. 2c, bonded/aggregated service is present for
each of Site A,
Site B and Site C. FIG. 2c illustrates one possible implementation, where the
network system is
based on a distributed network architecture where CCPEs (110a) (110b) (110c)
and
corresponding CPE-CEs (124a) (124b) (124c) are configured to provide improved
network
communications, including interruption of network communications at the
network backbone so
as to reduce long haul effects, dynamically and on a peer to peer basis
without the need for a
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persistent central manager. In one implementation, each of the network
components of the
network system included functionality to operate on a peer-to-peer basis.
[00111] A CPE-CE (124) initiates network communications on a
bonded/aggregated
basis, cooperating with a CCPE (110), with packets destined for a remote
location. Each CCPE
(110) receives dynamic updates including a location and identifier associated
with other CCPE
(110). Packets are dynamically sent to a CCPE (110) at the remote location, if
available, and
from the CCPE (110) at the remote location to its CPE-CE (124). The CPE-CEs
(124) and their
CCPEs (110) use bi-directional control of network communications to establish
a network
overlay to provide improved network performance. The network overlay for
example provides
desirable quality of service despite underlying network conditions that may
otherwise result in a
decrease in network performance.
[00112] In accordance with embodiments described herein, the network
system
establishes and manages two or more network overlays. Referring for example to
FIG. 2a a
first network overlay (126) is established between the CPE-CE(A) (124a) and
CCPE (110a);
then, communications are transferred over the MPLS (112) without a network
overlay; then, a
second network overlay (129) is established between CCPE (110b) and CPE-CE(B)
(124b). As
a result, IP transport is provided between Site A and Site B where this will
provide better
performance than the aggregated/bonded network connections.
Bonding/aggregation in effect
is distributed across the locations, rather than attempting to span the
distance between the
locations with end to end bonding/aggregation.
[00113] Embodiments therefore provide distributed bonding/aggregation.
Embodiments
also provide a network system that automatically provides distributed
bonding/aggregation in a
way that bonding/aggregation is proximal, and beyond proximal connections IP
transport is
used, with proximal bonded/aggregated connections and fast Internet being used
as part of end-
to-end improved service.
[00114] In addition, system elements enabling the monitoring and
maintenance of Quality
of Experience (QoE) and Quality of Services (QoS) may be optionally included
in the CCPE
and/or CPE-CE configuration. As will described herein, an intelligent packet
distribution engine
may be supported to implement QoE and QoS functionality. In another example,
the QoE and
QoS elements may be implemented as part of the underlying link aggregation
technology.
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[00115] Embodiments may offer advantages over the prior art technologies,
including, for
example:
1. Suited for voice and data transmission:
= SLA Supported with Quality of Experience (QoE)
= Bi-Directional QoS
= OTT QoS Maintains CoS
= No Dropped Calls on Link Failover
2. Carrier diversity, including network aggregation and failover protection
3. Failover: no disconnections on failover scenarios
4. Aggregated bandwidth: more reach options and scale
5. Bi-directional communication
6. Network quality of service (QoS)
7. Application acceleration
8. Quality of Experience
[00116] These are illustrative non-limiting examples. Combining diverse
networks (MPLS,
WAN) with the link aggregation / bonding technology in accordance with
exemplary
embodiments may satisfy end customer needs on the network, including, for
example:
= Use of multiple low cost broadband circuits (for greater uptime and
resiliency).
= Support of prioritization and CoS for priority traffic.
= Hybrid MPLS or backup network strategy without having to abandon MPLS
features.
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= The cloud concentrator would bridge the MPLS portion of a customer's
network to
the broadband portion using network aggregation delivering MPLS to the CPE
device
(MPLS added to link aggregation technology as a supported Protocol).
[00117] In another aspect of embodiments, and as shown in FIG. 2d, one
or more
CCPEs can be implemented at a given physical location, as part of a Point-of
Presence (PoP)
(130). In one aspect, a PoP (130) can define a relatively high concentration
of servers,
concentrators, and/or CCPEs within an area. In another aspect, a plurality of
PoPs (130) may
be available in a given geographic location. A plurality of PoPs (130) may be
established based
on network topology or service requirements in a given area.
[00118] In one aspect, each PoP (130) may have one or more network backbone
connections (132), because in some locations different network backbones, such
as a wireless
Internet, a private data network, or the MPLS network, may be available. The
PoP (130) may
be implemented so that it dynamically interoperates with surrounding networks.
The PoP (130)
is a collection of network components, established at the periphery of the
network backbone
(112), associated with a plurality of networks, and cumulatively providing
network
communication service to one or more clients in a defined geographic area. In
one possible
implementation, the server/concentrators or CCPEs (110) located within the PoP
(130) functions
as a network access server for connecting to the Internet or the MPLS (112).
The network
access server (110) acts as the access point to the Internet (112) for a
plurality of CPE devices
(124) that are connected to the PoP (130). The servers/concentrators or CCPEs
(110) may be
configured to communicate with one another to share information regarding
network conditions.
Servers/concentrators and CCPEs (110) provide connectivity to CPEs and CPE-CEs
(124) and
may also run a networking protocol such as BGP to route servers and other
network backbone
connections (112).
[00119] In one aspect, servers/concentrators and CCPEs (110) are configured
to detect
changes in their network environment.
[00120] The CPE-CE (124) may be configured to collect information from
network
components in its vicinity including from one or more available PoPs (130) and
their CCPEs
(110). The CPE-CE (124) for example connects to a closest available CCPE
(124),
.. implemented as part of a PoP (130), and thereby having access to a
connection to the MPLS
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network core (112). Whether the connection to the network core (112) is direct
or indirect, the
network connections are established so as to minimize long haul effects.
[00121]
In one implementation, each CPE-CE (124) establishes a connection by
dynamically advertising its IP address, and receiving replies from associated
CCPE (110) along
with their current network performance information.
The CPE-CE (124) initiates a
bonded/aggregated connection with a CCPE (110) that is proximal (to minimize
long haul
effects between the CPE-CE (124) to the MPLS network core (112)), and also
performing well
based on network conditions relevant to the particular CCPE.
[00122]
In one implementation, a network device is deployed that bonds or aggregates
multiple, diverse links. The network device may be WAN aggregator or a link
aggregator.
[00123]
Once the network overlay is established, various other network optimization
and
quality of services ("QoS") techniques may be applied.
[00124]
One or more CPE-CEs and one or more CCPEs can create various different
network configurations that may improve network performance in relation to
network
communications there between. In one embodiment of the invention, the CPE-CEs
and CCPEs
are designed to be self-configuring and self-healing, and to interoperate with
one another to
manage traffic in a more effective way.
[00125]
"Proximal" means a distance such that based on relevant network conditions;
long haul network communication and associated effects are avoided. The
distance between
the CPE-CE and the CCPE may be proximal.
[00126]
In order to take advantage of the network architecture of embodiments
described, the CCPE (110) can be located at an access point to the MPLS
network core (112)
or in some other way to minimize the long haul effect, for example, by the
CCPE being located
proximal to an access point so as to further avoid long haul network
communication.
[00127] In
another aspect of embodiments described herein, the bonded/aggregated
connection at Site A and the bonded/aggregated connection at Site B may be
different. In
particular, each may include different types of network connections and that
may be associated
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with different carriers. In one aspect of embodiments described herein, the
network overlay
provided operates notwithstanding such diversity.
[00128] Typically, the more sites that have the CPE-CEs/CCPEs
associated with them
the better network performance between them. Representative performance
details are
included herein.
[00129] The network backbone (112) could be any high performance
network including
for example a private WAN, the Internet, or an MPLS network.
Network Overlay
[00130] In one aspect of the embodiments described herein, one or more
network
overlays are established, thereby in one aspect providing a multi-POP network
that exploits
multiple points of presence so as to provide a persistent,
configurable/reconfigurable network
configuration that provides substantial network performance improvements over
prior art
methods. In one aspect of embodiments described herein, the CPE-CEs/CCPEs may
monitor
network performance, including in the areas proximate to their position, and
may reconfigure the
network overlay dynamically, across multiple locations (including multiple
PoPs) based on
changes in MPLS network performance while providing continuity of service. The
network
overlay may be made up of multiple virtual connections, such as virtual edge
and virtual core
connections, as described herein.
[00131] In one aspect, the network components of embodiments described
herein are
intelligent, and iteratively collect network performance information.
Significantly, in one aspect
each CPE-CE is able to direct associated concentrator(s)/CCPE and any CPE-CE
to in
aggregate re-configure the network overlay.
[00132] Significantly, in the network overlay created by the
embodiments described
herein management of the network may be centralized or decentralized,
depending on the
configuration that provides the best overall performance. This is in contrast
to prior art solutions
that generally require central management for example of termination of
connection which
results in traffic being carrier over bonded/aggregated connection that
involve long haul
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transmission that fail to take advantage of network paths that may provide
inherently better
performance than the bonded/aggregated connection paths.
[00133] In one aspect, decentralized managed is made possible by peer-
to-peer
functionality implemented to the network components of the embodiments
described herein.
[00134] In another aspect, a plurality of CCPEs may be established in
multiple locations
covering a plurality of different access points. Each CCPE may be used for
multiple clients
associated with different CPE-CEs to improve network performance for such
multiple clients by
providing termination of their bonded/aggregated connection, routing of
communications, and
encapsulation of packets to the MPLS network core. The network solution
therefore may
include multiple Points-of-Presence, distributed geographically including for
example in areas
requiring network service, and through the network architecture bridging
geographically
disparate areas with improved network communication.
Additional Implementation Detail
[00135] As previously stated, the present invention may be implemented
in connection
with any technology for bonding or aggregating links, and thereby reduce long
haul effects. The
present invention may also be implemented with any kind of MPLS network,
thereby providing a
high-performance, secure, end-to-end network connection between various client
or customer
sites.
[00136] In one aspect of embodiments described herein, the system,
method and
network architecture may be implemented such that the aggregated/bonded
network
connections described are implemented using the link aggregation technology
described in
Patent No. 8,155,158. In another aspect of embodiments described herein, the
system, method
and network architecture may be implemented using one or more Points-of-
Presences as
described in Patent Application No. 13/958,009. What follows is additional
detail regarding link
aggregation/bonding in combination with an MPLS network, emphasizing the
creation and
management of the bonded/aggregated connections between them, and the
encapsulation at
CCPEs, which in the network configuration of the present invention may form a
part of the
overall network overlay that incorporates the one or more portions that are
carried over the
network backbone.
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[00137] Diverse network connections may be aggregated into virtual
(logical) connections
that provide higher throughput as well as independence of the network
characteristics of the
constituent (physical) network. Aggregation may be performed at a given CPE-
CE.
[00138] For instance, in one example implementation, a Metro Ethernet
10Mbps (E10)
link and a T1 (DS1) link are aggregated in accordance with embodiments
described herein, in
order to provide higher fault tolerance and improved access speeds. The
aggregation of
diverse carriers may extend to any broadband network connection including
Digital Subscriber
Line (DSL) communications links, Data over Cable Service Interface
Specification (DOCSIS),
Integrated Services Digital Network, Multi-protocol Label Switching,
Asynchronous Transfer
Mode (ATM), and Ethernet, etc. The network connections may also include a WAN.
[00139] According to one aspect of embodiments described herein, an
apparatus is
provided for managing transfer of communication traffic over diverse network
connections
aggregated into a single autonomous connection, independent of the various
underlying
network connections. The apparatus may include a network aggregation device
and an
aggregation engine. The network aggregation device may be adapted to configure
a plurality of
network connections, and transfer communication traffic between a further
network connection
and the plurality of network connections, as an aggregated group for providing
a transfer rate on
the further communication link, and to allocate to the aggregate group a rate
of transfer equal to
the total available transfer rate of the underlying networks. The aggregation
engine may be
adapted to manage the distribution of communication traffic received both to
and from a plurality
of network connections, establishing newly formed aggregated network
connections. The
aggregation engine may be implemented in software for execution by a
processor, or in
hardware.
[00140] In accordance with this aspect of embodiments described
herein, a plurality of
diverse network connections may be aggregated to create an aggregated network
connection.
The diversity of the network connections may be a result of diversity in
provider networks due to
the usage of different equipment vendors, network architectures/topologies,
internal routing
protocols, transmission media and even routing policies. These diversities may
lead to different
network connections with different latencies and/or jitter on the network
connection. Also,
variation within transmission paths in a single provider network may lead to
latency and/or jitter
variations within a network connection.
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[00141] Latency and jitter typically affect all data communication
across the network
connection. Latency is the round-trip time for a transmission occurring end-to-
end on a network
connection. Jitter is the variance in latency on a network connection for the
same data flow.
High latency and jitter typically have a direct and significant impact on
application performance
and bandwidth. Applications such as VOIP, and video delivery are typically
highly sensitive to
jitter and latency increases and can degrade as they increase.
[00142] Transparent aggregation of a plurality of network connections
in an aggregated
network connection requires the management of data transmitted over the
aggregated
connection by the aggregation engine and received from the aggregation traffic
termination
engine. In one aspect, transparent aggregation does not require any
configuration by a network
provider. The aggregation engine and the aggregation traffic termination
engine may manage
data transmission such that the variable path speeds and latencies on the
plurality of network
connections do not affect the application data transmitted over the aggregated
network
connection. The network aggregation engine and the aggregation traffic
termination engine
may handle sequencing and segmentation of the data transmitted through the
aggregated
connection to transparently deliver application data through the aggregated
connection with
minimal possible delay while ensuring the ordered delivery of application
data.
[00143] In one aspect of embodiments described herein, the network
aggregation engine
provides a newly aggregated network connection with a capacity equal to the
sum of the
configured maximum throughput of the network connections.
[00144] The aggregation engine and an aggregation traffic termination
engine (further
explained below) handle the segmentation of packets as required in
confirmation with
architectural specifications such as Maximum Segment Size (MSS) and Maximum
Transmission
Unit of the underlying network connections. The network aggregation device is
operable to
.. handle assignment of sequence identifiers to packets transmitted through
the aggregated
network connection for the purpose of maintaining the ordering of transmitted
data units over
the aggregated network connection.
[00145] In a further aspect of embodiments described herein, the
network connection
device includes or is linked to a connection termination device, and a
plurality of fixed or hot
swappable transceivers for transmitting communication traffic on respective
sets of network
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connections, for the purpose of configuring a plurality of network connections
as an aggregated
connection or the management of multiple aggregated network connections and
providing
access to the aggregated network connection for any network communications
traversing the
device.
[00146] In the present disclosure, routing protocols or route selection
mechanisms
described are intended only to provide an example but not to limit the scope
of the invention in
any manner.
[00147] FIG. 2e shows an exemplary embodiment of a network solution
with
bonding/aggregation implemented at both Site A, Headquarter (HQ) A and Site C
to connect to
.. an MPLS network connecting to Headquarter (HQ) B, Headquarter (HQ) C, and
Site B.
[00148] As shown in FIG. 2e, a number of customer sites (120a, 120b,
120c, 120d, 120e,
and 120f) are connected to each other via a core network 112, which may
provide a secured
VPN network solution to multiple users. As an illustrative example, the core
network 112 may
be an MPLS network. The network backbone is typically provided by one carrier
but multiple
networks provided by multiple carriers may also be connected via multiple
Points-of-Presence
(POPs) to form a super network. As can be seen from the exemplary embodiment,
each of Site
A 120a and Site C 120c has a CPE-CE (124a and 124c, respectively), which is
then connected
to a CCPE 110a with some form of link aggregation/ bonding technology as
described
elsewhere in this disclosure. The CCPE 110a can be also connected to other
CCPEs (not
shown) within a Point-of-Presence 130a located closest to Site A 120a and Site
C 120c. As
mentioned earlier in this disclosure, CCPE 110 also acts as a PE router to a
core network 112 in
that it takes incoming or inbound traffic or packets, examines each packet and
then
encapsulates the packet with an appropriate label (e.g. MPLS label) based on a
variety of
factors. As MPLS can be layer 2 independent, it can work with any layer 2
protocol including
but not limited to ATM, frame relay, Ethernet MAC layer, or PPP. Depending on
the content of
the incoming (un-labeled) packet, CCPE is operable to inspect/ examine the
destination IP
address and other information in the packet header, insert a label into the
packet and forward
the labeled packet to the output port. Once the labeled packet exits CCPE 110
and enters the
MPLS network core 112, another router commonly known as a Label Switch Router
(LSR),
receives the labeled packet. It examines the label and performs a table loop-
up at the
forwarding table to find the new label and the output port. The LSR then swaps
the old label
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with the new label and routes the newly labeled packet to the next output
port. Other LSRs
within the MPLS network will perform the same tasks. Eventually the labeled
packet will reach
another provider edge router. The provider edge router can then examine the
label and perform
a table look-up at the forwarding table to find that the packet is to be sent
to, for example, CCPE
110c connected to HQ C 120e and Site B 120f. It then removes the label and
sends an
unlabeled packet to CCPE 110c. CCPE 110c will receive the unlabeled packet and
examine
the IP header information to determine the final destination e.g. HQ C 120e,
Site B 120f, or
another destination, such as, e.g., HQ A 120b.
[00149] In another exemplary embodiment, CCPE can also act as the
provider edge
router for data packets exiting (e.g. "outbound data packets") the MPLS
network core 112. For
example, labeled packets traveling through the MPLS network core 112 can be
routed to and
reach a CCPE on the edge of the MPLS network. The CCPE can then examine the
label of the
outbound data packet and perform a table look-up at the forwarding table to
determine that the
packet is to be sent to a CPE-CE ("destination CPE-CE") connected to the CCPE
The CCPE
can further remove the label from the outbound data packet and send it to the
destination CPE-
CE over ANA link aggregation connections. In some instances the CCPE may
determine that
the destination CPE-CE may be associated or connected with another CCPE over a
POP 130
or the MPLS network core 112, in which case the CCPE may re-encapsulate the
data packet if
necessary and send it back to the POP and/or MPLS network for further
transmission to its final
destination. As will be described below, each CCPE may comprise a Network
Aggregation
Device 23 including a Network Aggregation Engine 11 and an MPLS Data Store 40.
[00150] In one aspect of embodiments described herein, encapsulation
of data packets
by a CCPE 110 can be done as an on-stack protocol implementation by a network
aggregation
engine 11 (further described below) based on information supplied by an MPLS
data store 40
within or connected to the CCPE 110. This way, network data can be
transparently sent and
received over link aggregation/ bonding network 116 by CCPE and CPE-CE.
Optionally, the
CPE-CE can also implement full MPLS network data encapsulation capabilities.
[00151] It is shown that some CCPEs may not be associated with a POP,
such as CCPE
110c or 110b. Whether a CCPE is part of a POP may change overtime, as CCPE
dynamically
receives and analyzes real-time data regarding various network
characteristics. For example,
CCPE 110b may receive information indicating that a commonly used network path
has failed
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due to power outage, it then may decide to seek alternative connection to the
MPLS core via the
closest POP 130d. Cloud provisioning services 140 may also configure/
reconfigure the CCPEs
in real time based on a plurality of network characteristics.
[00152] It is further shown that some sites such as HQ B 120d, HQ C
120e, and Site B
120f do not have link aggregation/ bonding technologies. That is, an MPLS
network as
described herein and its associated CCPEs may take both link aggregation/
bonding
connections or typical broadband connections without said link aggregation
technology.
Depending on what connection it is, a CCPE may adjust accordingly and
encapsulates the
incoming packets with appropriate labels before forwarding the packets to the
MPLS network
core 112. A CCPE may also de-label data packets before forwarding the packets
to the final
destination CPE-CEs for outbound data packets exiting the MPLS network core
112. For
greater clarity, a CCPE may act as a provider edge router and provide, in a
simultaneous
manner, encapsulation and de-labeling functionalities for inbound and outbound
data packets
respectively.
[00153] As an overarching cloud service, some form of cloud provisioning
(or zero touch
provisioning ZTP) 140 may also be provided to dynamically configure and
reconfigure some or
all of the CCPEs and all the CPE-CEs.
[00154] Benefits of the exemplary embodiments described in this
disclosure include: i)
the proprietary link aggregation/ bonding technology described herein can
utilize any kind of
network connection, private or public, layer 2 or layer 3; and ii) the CPE-CEs
and CCPEs can
encapsulate the data packets for transparent interconnectivity across diverse
carriers, with the
lower-links aggregated. In other words, even though an MPLS network is
typically sold as a
private offering utilizing diverse physical local loops to the end customer
using the same carrier,
embodiments described herein can encapsulate over any carrier using any local
physical loop,
some times without the need to participate at layer 1 network.
[00155] The architecture of embodiments can be understood as a
centralized architecture
for aggregating network connections, broadband or otherwise. Diverse network
connections are
aggregated into a virtual (logical) connection that provides higher throughput
as well as
independence of the network characteristics of the constituent (physical)
network. The virtual
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connection can then be connected to an MPLS network in manners as described
herein.
Aggregation may be performed to a given CPE-CE terminal.
[00156] For instance, in one example of the implementation of the
present invention a
Metro Ethernet 10 Mbps (E10) link and a Ti (DS1) link can be aggregated in
accordance with
the invention as described below, in order to provide higher fault tolerance
and improved access
speeds. The aggregation of diverse carriers in accordance with the present
invention extends
to any broadband network connection including Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
communications
links, Data over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS), Integrated
Services Digital
Network, Multi-protocol Label Switching, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and
Ethernet,
etc.
[00157] The links to be aggregated can be any private or public
Internet services such as
cable, ADSL, T1, Fibre, x0E (over Ethernet types), wireless, as well as other
MPLS connections
so long as the network path reaches a CCPE for lower-link processing from a
CPE-CE terminal.
[00158] Furthermore, the various network configurations shown in FIGs.
2a to 2f allow
the use of low cost Internet links on the client side and where appropriate,
between a first MPLS
network and a second MPLS network, in order to provide connectivity on the
client side and
manage connectivity to the one or more MPLS network(s). In effect, this
network architecture
allows one or more MPLS networks to be brought to normal broadband users.
Security is
provided through the link aggregation/ bonding technologies described
elsewhere in this
disclosure. The various network configurations can further allow various
intelligent network
performance features to be deployed.
[00159] Turning now to FIG. 2f, which shows a network solution with
bonding/aggregation
implemented at Site A, Site B, Site C, Site D, HQ A, HQ C and Site E to
connect to a first MPLS
network from a first provider connecting and a second MPLS network from a
second provider.
[00160] As can be seen from FIG. 2f, with the unique advantages of multiple
POPs, a
plurality of MPLS networks from different MPLS providers can be connected to
provide a
secure, fast network between different end users. A first MPLS network 150a
provided by a first
MPLS provider is connected to HQ A 120f, HQ D 120g, and Site E 120e. HQ A 120f
and Site E
120e each has link aggregation (116f and 116e) facilitated by CCPEs 124f and
124e,
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respectively. Similarly, a second MPLS network 150b provided by a second MPLS
provider is
connected to Site D, HQ B and HQ C. Each of the MPLS networks 150a and 160b
can act as
part of a POP in the overall network architecture 300. Even though only two
MPLS networks
are illustrated here, there can be a plurality of MPLS networks not limited to
two or any
particular total of networks. This way, one can extend an MPLS network to use
other MPLS or
non-MPLS connections to reach the end customer, whether using static or
dynamic IP
addressing, and without the participation of carriers.
[00161] Specifically, a CCPE 110a can be connected to more than one CPE-
CE devices
124a, 124b and 124c, supporting a multi-tenant service for multiple customers.
That is, a CCPE
110a can treat each CPE-CE 124a, 124b or 124c connected to the CCPE
independently, with
link aggregation 116a, 116b and 116c between each CPE-CE and CCPE.
[00162] In another example (not explicitly illustrated), a CCPE can
facilitate many CPE-
CE's to one CCPE implementation, supporting a multi-tenant service for
multiple customers on
their own MPLS network. This can be serviced by a single CCPE treating each
CPE-CE
independently on a tenant instance or MPLS network.
[00163] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication device
incorporating a particular
embodiment of the invention, demonstrating the device acting as a client or
CPE-CE.
[00164] As shown in FIG. 3, the network element/network aggregation
device (also
referred to in this disclosure simply as the "device" or the "network
aggregation device") 23
includes (in this particular embodiment shown for illustration) a network
connection termination
module 25 that includes representative transceiver interfaces 14, 15 and 16.
Each transceiver
interface 14, 15 and 16 represents an interface to a physical communication
medium through
which communications may be established to network connections.
[00165] A possible implementation of the network aggregation device may
use a single or
multiple chassis with slots for multiple network connection termination
modules and multiple
network aggregation engine modules. The multiple network connection
termination modules
may be grouped by protocol specific or medium specific transceiver/interfaces.
[00166] The network aggregation engine 11 may handle the configuration
of the network
aggregation device and all related interactions with external inputs. An
extended device
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configuration store with MPLS capacity 24 may provide persistent data storage
for device
configuration information such as a network aggregation policy and MPLS
related configuration
information and policies. MPLS related configuration information may include
label lookup
table, forwarding table, routing table, labeling and mapping policies, and/or
MPLS provider
information.
[00167] The network aggregation engine 11 may handle queries from
external sources,
such as configuration parameters a network management protocol such as Simple
Network
Management Protocol, for example. The interface 10 may be a protocol agent and
may provide
for communication with a Network Management System (NMS) or operator system
for
configuration of the aggregation engine by the definition of an aggregation
policy. Control and
management information may be transferred between the network aggregation
device 23 and
the NMS or operator system through the interface 10 via any available or
specifically designated
network connection 19, 20, 21 and 17 through any transceiver interface 14, 15
and 16.
[00168] In one exemplary embodiment, the described system can transport
MPLS
packets back and forth between MPLS core network and ANA link aggregation
connection(s) so
as to enable extending communication of MPLS packets beyond the edge of the
MPLS core
network, using ANA link aggregation technology. The system can include
specific mechanisms
for enabling the transport of the MPLS packets (e.g., data packets leaving
MPLS core network
and entering ANA) using transcoding/translating and then encapsulation for ANA
link
aggregation connection(s), in a way that maintains the integrity of the MPLS
packet, including
processing instructions such as those related to QoS. In the reverse transport
flow, MPLS
packets (e.g. data packets leaving ANA and entering MPLS core network) can be
de-
encapsulated to remove ANA protocol and where appropriate,
transcoding/translation in order to
obtain the original data packet without affecting integrity, and in such a way
that can enable
further, if any, MPLS processing to happen automatically.
[00169] For example, encapsulation, as will be described further
herein, can be handled
either by MPLS-to-ANA Handler 55. The MPLS-to-ANA Handler 55 can be
implemented either
as the ANA client, the ANA server and/or the ANA protocol itself.
[00170] In accordance with an aspect, multiple network connections may
be combined to
form an aggregated network connection 22, as disclosed in further detail
herein. Each
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individual network connection may be configured with a maximum communication
traffic rate,
which could be expressed as a bit rate in bits per second.
[00171] The network aggregation engine 11 may be implemented in
software for
execution by a processor in the network aggregation device 23, or in hardware
such as by
means of a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other integrated circuit,
or some
combination thereof. The network aggregation engine 11 may be implemented in a
distributed
manner by distributing aggregation engine intelligence to the network
connection termination
module 25, in a manner that is known.
[00172] The network aggregation engine 11 may receive traffic from
client network
connection device 18 through a network connection 17 provided through a
transceiver interface
16. The client network connection device 18 may be any device including,
without limitation, a
router, switch, or media converter that is capable of providing termination
for a single or multiple
client nodes, where nodes are any devices capable of connecting to a network
irrespective of
protocol or interface specificity. In various embodiments, traffic may be
received over multiple
network connections through a single or multiple transceiver interfaces. The
network
aggregation engine 11 may accept all traffic from the client network
connection, may provide
encapsulation and segmentation services for the traffic for transmission
through the aggregated
network connection 22, and may transmit it over any of the network connections
19, 20 and 21
through any of the transceiver interfaces 14, 15 and 16. The network
aggregation engine 11
may handle segmentation in a manner that avoids the fragmentation of
aggregated
communication traffic received through the client network connection device
18, when
transmission occurs over the aggregated network connection 22 through any of
the network
connections 19, 20 and 21, by ensuring that the length of a packet/frame
transmitted over any of
the network connections 19, 20 and 21 is less than or equal to the configured
or detected frame
length for the respective connections in the aggregated network connection 22.
[00173] In the embodiment as shown in Fig. 3, the network aggregation
engine 11 may
be connected to an MPLS to ANA Handler 55. The engine 55 may comprise an MPLS
PE/CE
implementation module 50, an MPLS/ ANA encapsulation module 52 and an MPLS to
IPDE
QoS Translation module 53. During operation of transmitting data packets from
client site CPE-
CE to MPLS core, network aggregation engine 11 may send the packet to the MPLS
to ANA
Handler 55. The data packet may be encapsulated via MPLS/ ANA Encapsulation 52
based on
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specific MPLS configuration data in the extended device configuration store
24. The
encapsulated data packet can then be sent to MPLS PE/CE implementation module
50, which
may further provide segmentation in a manner that avoids the fragmentation of
aggregated
communication traffic received through the client network connection device
18, when
transmission occurs over the aggregated network connection 22 through any of
the network
connections 19, 20 and 21, by ensuring that the length of a packet/frame
transmitted over any of
the network connections 19, 20 and 21 is less than or equal to the configured
or detected frame
length for the respective connections in the aggregated network connection 22.
[00174] In addition, MPLS to link aggregation (or ANA) transcoding can
be performed
.. between the MPLS core and the Customer LAN via the MPLS to ANA Handler 55.
In a direction
from MPLS core to the edge, as an example, the CCPE MPLS protocol
implementation can
communicate with the MPLS core recognizing packets that are destined for the
customer LAN
located over the link aggregation session serviced by the a CCPE
implementation. At this point,
the data packets with MPLS protocol can be transcoded and transmitted over the
link
.. aggregation session to the customer's CPE-CE device with labels intact.
When the packets
reach the ANA CPE-CE device, the CPE-CE device can transcode from link
aggregation ANA to
MPLS again and deliver the packets on to the customer LAN.
[00175] In one embodiment, the virtual (logical) link aggregated from
a variety of diverse
or dissimilar network connections through a single or multiple transceiver
interfaces may be
implemented over one physical link to encompass a single link aggregation for
MPLS Edge with
a bi-directional IP Quality of Service (QoS) achieved.
[00176] In one exemplary embodiment, data packets with MPLS protocol
may be
transmitted across the MPLS core and arrive at the CPE-CE side of a network
connection with
MPLS label(s). The MPLS labels can be retrieved and/or parsed by the CPE-CE
device 124
(e.g. by an MPLS to ANA Handler 55) in order to determine further processing
of the packet. In
the system described herein, (1) the MPLS labels can be acquired from the data
packet with
MPLS protocol (or also known as "MPLS packet"); (2) a table (such as a
distribution table)
maintained within or connected to the CPE-CE device 124 can cause the
destination associated
with the data packet and/or the MPLS label to be determined and accessed, and
to retrieve
corresponding rules (from e.g. Extended Device Configuration Store 24) to
determine how to
distribute the data packet over aggregated network connections; (3) if
corresponding MPLS
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processing rules are found these may be used for distribution of the data
packet over
aggregated network connection(s); and if (4) no corresponding MPLS processing
rules are
found the data packet is not handled. In the case of (4) the system may
default to IP processing
rules.
[00177] The MPLS packet can include a header that can be used for sub-
processing.
The sub-processing can include IPDE to QoS transcoding or translation by MPLS/
IPDE QoS
Translation module 53. This involves transcoding or translating the QoS
request associated
with a packet, as opposed to the packet itself. This now enables the link
aggregation ANA
system to handle the MPLS packet based on the associated QoS requests, and
also ensure
.. that those QoS requests remain intact for handling by MPLS PE/CE at the
destination. The
packet's integrity is maintained, including its MPLS label.
[00178] Once transcoding/translation is done, ANA encapsulation may
occur. An
encapsulation technique used can be MPLS network compatible or MPLS aware.
This can be
accomplished by using MPLS protocol as part of ANA encapsulation by MPLS/ANA
.. Encapsulation module 52.
[00179] Extended Device Configuration Store 24 can allow ANA system to
process MPLS
packets. It may contain some of the same information that is used to perform
the MPLS to
IPDE QoS translation.
[00180] The system can continue to apply the QoS requests and therefore
handling of
MPLS packets continues to happen within ANA in a way that is consistent with
transport of
MPLS packets on an MPLS network. The packets are not necessarily modified,
rather, handling
of the MPLS packet can occur based in part on ANA rules that are made to
adhere dynamically
to MPLS handling rules.
[00181] In another embodiment, a similar process may operate in a
reverse direction:
MPLS packets may come out of ANA link aggregation connection first by de-
encapsulating, and
then translating/transcoding so as to provide the MPLS data packets.
[00182] In one embodiment, the network aggregation engine 11 may poll
the state of
network connections 19, 20 and 21, for example, as per configured intervals
stored in the device
configuration store 24, to ensure that all network connections configured in
an aggregated group
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are within configured acceptable tolerances. If a network connection 19, 20,
and 21 exceeds
acceptable tolerance values for any of the polled parameters, the network
aggregation engine
11 may remove the network connection 19, 20, and 21 from within the aggregated
network
connection 22 without removing it from the polled network connections list. By
leaving the
removed network connection 19, 20, and 21 in the polled network connection
list, the network
aggregation engine 11 may aggregate the network connection into the aggregated
network
connection 22 once it has come back within acceptable tolerance values. This
may ensure that
a network connection may change states between residing in an aggregated
network
connection 22 or not, without the intervention of an external system or input.
The network
aggregation engine 11 may handle notifications to all end points configured
within the device
configuration store 24 with internal events such as changes in network
connection state,
threshold violations on configured thresholds for any number of configurable
variables for any
object within or connected to the network aggregation device 23. The network
aggregation
engine 12 may also handle events such as changes in the state of a network
connection 19, 20,
and 21 included in the aggregated connection, changes in latency of a network
connection
included in the aggregated network connection 22, scheduling changes, event
logging, and
other events.
[00183] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a communication device
incorporating a particular
embodiment, demonstrating the device acting as a server/concentrator or CCPE.
The network aggregation engine 11 may provide access to a network aggregation
policy
database 36 which stores configuration information related to the various
aggregated network
connections that terminate on the aggregated network connection device 28. The
network
aggregation termination device 28 may be implemented in such a manner that
each aggregated
network connection defined in the network aggregation policy database 36 is
handled by its own
virtual instance, the use of which enables termination of each aggregated
network connection
from multiple customer premises equipment (CPE-CE). In addition, an MPLS data
store 40 may
provide persistent data storage for MPLS related configuration information
such as label lookup
table, forwarding table, routing table, labeling and mapping policies, and/or
MPLS provider
information. As described above, based on the information in MPLS data store
40, Network
Aggregation Engine 11 may be operable to encapsulate incoming or inbound data
from CPE-CE
for transmission into core MPLS network. In a similar fashion, Network
Aggregation Engine 11
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may remove MPLS label from outbound data packets exiting an MPLS network and
forward the
data packets to the appropriate CPE-CE based on a label look-up table or a
forwarding table. In
cases where multiple CPE-CE devices are handled by one CCPE, Network
Aggregation Engine
11 is further operable to determine, based on the MPLS data store 40 and/or
the MPLS label
information on the outbound data packets, the final destination CPE-CE(s) to
which each
outbound data packet should be delivered.
[00184] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a communication network
incorporating a particular
embodiment, demonstrating the function of the device acting as a client/CPE-CE
and
server/concentrator or CCPE.
[00185] In accordance with a particular embodiment, aggregated network
connections
70, 71 and 72 may be built by network aggregation devices 63, 64 and 65, which
terminate to a
single aggregated network connection termination device 61 through network
connections 66
and 68 as their endpoint. The aggregated network connection termination device
61 may
access external communications networks through network connections 66 and 68
to access
external/remote network resource 69. Access to external communications
networks, such as an
MPLS network or the Internet, may be provided by the aggregated network
connection
termination device 61 by using either network connection 66 or 68 through the
use of a routing
protocol, such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Open Shortest Path (OSPF), or
through the
use of simpler mechanisms such as load sharing over multiple static routes
within the
communication network 74 that acts as the valid next-hop for the aggregated
network
connection termination device 61.
[00186] Aggregated network connections 70, 71 and 72 may provide access
to client
network nodes 67 connected to the network aggregation devices 63, 64 and 65
through the
aggregated network connections 70, 71 and 72 to communications networks 74
accessible by
the aggregated network connection termination device 61.
[00187] A client network node 67 may request data provided by an
external/remote
network resource 69 accessible through a communication network 74. This
request for the
external/remote network resource may be routed over the network connection 73
providing
access from the client network node 67 over the aggregated network connection
70 to its end-
point which is the aggregated network connection termination device 61. This
may be done
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through the communication network 74 through the network connection 66 into
the aggregated
network connection termination device 61. Any data sent by the external/remote
network
resource 69 may be routed back through the aggregated network connection
termination
device.
[00188] A particular embodiment may use the Internet as the communication
network 74
referenced in FIG 5, or another WAN network for example. The communication
network 74 may
alternatively be built by multiple sub-networks created through the use of
multiple network
aggregation devices 63, 64 and 65 with aggregated network connection
termination device 61
end points through multiple network connections 66 and 68. Furthermore, the
communication
network 74 may also be an MPLS network provided by an MPLS provider or
carrier.
[00189] A further aspect relates to the provisioning of high
availability over the
aggregated network connection by the network aggregation engine 11. FIG. 6
illustrates a
method of providing redundancy and increased throughput through a plurality of
network
connections in an aggregated network connection. The method 90 may begin with
a step of
configuring a plurality of network connections 91 through the creation of a
network aggregation
policy to form 92 the aggregated network connection. The aggregated network
connection may
be initialized as per the network aggregation policy. Control connections may
be created 93 for
the plurality of network connections configured as part of the aggregated
connection to allow the
aggregation engine 11 to manage the membership of a network connection within
the
aggregated connection. The network aggregation engine 11 may accept packets
for
transmission 94 over the aggregated network connection 22. The network
aggregation engine
11 may choose a network connection 95 among the group of network connections
configured
91 in the aggregate in the stored aggregation policy for transmission of the
current packet being
transmitted. The choice of network connection for transmission of the current
packet may be
specified within the aggregation policy and may take into account data
provided by the control
connection built at 94.
[00190] According to one embodiment, a non-responsive network
connection may be
easily detected when using latency and packet loss as a measure. The mechanism
for
detecting 96 and adapting to 97 the network connection change within an
aggregated network
connection may be implemented within the data transmission routine in the
aggregation engine
11 or as a separate process in parallel to the transmission routine in the
aggregation engine 11
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to allow for further flexibility in provisioning redundancy within the
aggregated network
connection.
[00191] Since this may occur on a per packet basis as opposed to on a
per stream basis,
a single non-responsive network connection may not affect the aggregated
network connection
.. and may allow data transmission to continue regardless of the individual
states of network
connections so long as a single network connection within the aggregated
network connection is
available for data transmission.
Encryption
[00192] Encryption may be provided for the link aggregation
connections between a
CPE-CE and a CCPE. In one exemplary embodiment, each lower-link connection
handled and
aggregated by a CCPE or CPE-CE may be encrypted by the Network Aggregation
Engine 11
using transparent encryption.
[00193] In an embodiment, an overlay of IPSEC may be implemented over
the link
aggregated connections, sometimes in conjunction with existing IPSEC Edge
implementations.
For example, IPSEC gateways or clients can be installed on the CPE-CE's
connected to the
various CCPEs. In turn, the CPE-CEs with the IPSEC clients can terminate the
IPSEC sessions
on the CCPE or an existing carrier's IPSEC gateway on the MPLS network.
Alternatively,
IPSEC may be implemented at the PE routers or device such as a CCPE.
[00194] In an embodiment, a virtual edge overlay may provide
transparent encryption for
the aggregated connection between the CPE-CE and the CCPE. An example is
IPSEC. The
virtual edge may provide lower link transparent encryption as described
herein.
Example In Operation
[00195] In one possible implementation, 3 locations are provided
namely Site A, Site B,
and Site C, and Site D. FIGS. 7a and 7b illustrate network performance as
discussed herein.
FIG. 7a illustrates performance with long haul effects. FIG. 7b illustrates
performance with
reduction of long haul effects, based on embodiments in network conditions
otherwise similar to
those on which FIG. 7a is based.
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[00196] FIG. 7b shows an improvement in performance over FIG. 7a,
based on reduction
of long haul effects in relatively long distance network communications are
implemented using
the network architecture.
[00197] Embodiments may provide improved network performance relative
to speed. A
skilled reader will appreciate that the improvement in performance shown for
the above example
is significant. Other aspects of network performance, e.g., latency may also
be improved.
Virtual Network Overlay and Tunnels
[00198] Embodiments may provide a network system for improving network
communication performance between client sites at a distance from one another
that is such
that would usually require long haul network communication.
[00199] In some embodiments disclosed herein, there is provided a
Virtual Network
Overlay for multiple networks, such as for example one or more WAN. The
Virtual Network
Overly may allow multiple CPE devices to connect with CC devices and create an
Over-The-
Top Secure Network across Multiple Points-of-Presence between disparate sites.
The Virtual
Network Overlay service can provide features such as optimized Internet
access, secure WAN
(or other secure networks), and diverse carrier failover, for example. The
Virtual Network Overly
may support and integrate SCN, MDPS, and IPDE as described herein.
[00200] As shown in FIG. 8a, there may be at least one client site
network component
124a implemented at a client site A 120a for bonding or aggregating one or
more diverse
network connections so as to configure a bonded/aggregated connection 116a
that has
increased throughput.
[00201] There may be at least one network server component 115a that
is configured to
connect to the client site network component 124a using the bonded/aggregated
connection
116a. The network server component 115a includes at least one concentrator
element 110a
implemented at a network access point to at least one network 112. As
described, the network
server component 115a automatically terminates the bonded/aggregated
connection and
passes the data traffic to an access point to at least one network 112.
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[00202] A
virtual edge 128 connects the network server component 115a and the client
site network component 124a. The virtual edge 128 may provide transparent
lower-link
encryption for the connection between the client site network component 124a
and the network
server component 115a. The virtual edge 128 may implement a common access
protocol for
encapsulation of data packets for the data traffic carried over the
bonded/aggregated
connection 116a. This provides lower-link encapsulation support for protocols
such as for
example L2TP, PPPoE, PPTP, DHCP, UDP, and so on. By way of example, L2TP is a
link-layer
tunneling protocol to support VPNs. The virtual edge 128 may provide
transparent encryption of
the tunneling protocol to provide security and confidentiality The virtual
edge 128 component
addresses the Transparent Encryption Layer aspect of the SDN to SCN Mapping
architecture
as per the tables of system and network components herein. The tunneling
protocol allows for
provision of network services that the underlying network does not provide
directly. A tunneling
protocol may use a data portion of a data packet (e.g. payload) to carry the
packets that provide
the desired service. For example, L2TP may use L2TP packets to provide
different network
services. In computer networking, the link layer is the lowest layer in the IP
suite which may be
referred to as TCP/IP which it the networking architecture of the Internet. A
link may be the
physical and logical network component used to interconnect hosts or nodes in
the network.
Accordingly, the link layer relates to the links the physically connect the
nodes of the network
including the devices of the client site network component 124a and the
network server
component 115a. The link layer may be described as a combination of the data
link layer and
the physical layer in the Open Systems Interconnection model. As another
example, Point-to-
Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) is a network protocol for frame
encapsulation inside
Ethernet frames. As a further example, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol
(PPTP) may
implement VPNs and may use a control channel over TCP and a GRE tunnel
operating to
encapsulate PPP packets. These are illustrative example protocols that may be
used to support
encapsulation of data packets using a common access protocol. The virtual edge
128 lower-link
tunneling protocol connections address the Site / Branch Infrastructure
component of the SDN
to SCN mapping for the Lower Plane infrastructure architecture as per the
tables of system and
network components herein.
[00203] A cloud network controller 140 is configured to manage the data
traffic so as to
provide a managed network overlay 126 that incorporates the at least the
bonded/aggregated
connection 116a and at least one long haul network path carried over the at
least one wide area
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network 112. The network overlay 126 may include one or more virtual edges
128. The Network
Overlay 126 addresses the Virtual Data Plane aspect of the SDN to SCN Mapping
as per the
tables of system and network components herein.
[00204] As shown in FIG. 8b, there may be at least one other client
site network
component 124b implemented at a client site B 120b for bonding or aggregating
one or more
diverse network connections so as to configure a bonded/aggregated connection
116b that has
increased throughput. Network server components 115a, 115b connect through a
WAN
network 112. There may also be a virtual edge 128 with transparent encryption
and a managed
network overlay 126 between the client site network component 124a, 124b and
the
corresponding network server component 115a, 115b. The client site A 120a and
client site B
120b may be at a distance from each other such that at least one long haul
network path is
required to transmit data there between. The managed network overlays 126 may
integrate to
provide a single managed network overlay between disparate client sites and
may include both
virtual edges 128.
[00205] In some examples, as shown in FIGs. 9a and 9b there may be multiple
networks
112 connected by concentrator elements 110a, 110b, 110c. For example, there
may be a first
concentrator element 110a implemented at the access point to the at least one
WAN 112. There
may be a second concentrator element 110c implemented at another access point
to at least
one other WAN 112. There may be a third concentrator element 110b connected to
an access
point to a WAN 112. The first concentrator element 110a and the second
concentrator element
110c are configured to interoperate to provide a virtual core (VC) connection
135a between the
access points. The VC connection 135 may be a virtual Ethernet tunnel in some
example
embodiments. The third concentrator element 110b and the second concentrator
element 110c
are configured to interoperate to provide another VC connection 135b between
the access
points. The VC connection 135a, 135b provides transparent encryption. The VC
connection
135a, 135b may also support a common access protocol for encapsulation of data
packets. The
VC connection 135a, 135b may provide both transparent encryption and support
of the common
access protocol in some embodiments. The Virtual Core connection 135 addresses
the Virtual
Control Plane aspect of the SDN to SCN Mapping as per the tables of system and
network
.. components herein.
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[00206] The cloud network controller 140 is configured to manage the
data traffic so as to
provide a managed network overlay 150 that incorporates at least one long haul
network path
carried over the WANs 112. The managed network overlay 150 may be referred to
herein as the
Virtual Network Overlay 150. As shown in FIG. 9a, the Virtual Network Overlay
150 may involve
the VC connections 135a, 135b to provide a virtual connection between the
concentrator
elements 110a, 110b. The VC connection 135a, 135b may provide a
bonded/aggregated
connection. As shown in FIG. 9b, the Virtual Network Overlay 150 may involve a
VC connection
135a to provide a virtual connection between the concentrator elements 110a,
110c. A single
managed virtual network overlay may integrate multiple Network Overlays 126,
150, multiple
virtual edge connections 128, and multiple VC connections 135a, 135b. The
singled managed
virtual network overlay may provide an end-to-end overlay connecting disparate
client sites (e.g.
site A 120a, site B 120b). The Cloud Network Controller 140 addresses the
Orchestration
aspect of the SDN to SCN Mapping as per the tables of system and network
components
herein.
[00207] As shown in FIG.9c, there may be an bonded/aggregated connection
116c
between a concentrator element 110c in a network server component 115c and at
least one
other concentrator element 110b in another network server component 115b
connecting to the
other client site network component 124b implemented at the client site B
120b. There may be a
virtual edge 128 with transparent encryption. A cloud network controller 140
may be configured
to manage the data traffic so as to provide the managed network overlay 150
that incorporates
the other bonded/aggregated connection 116c.
[00208] Embodiments described herein may implement a cloud network
controller 140 to
implement Software Controlled Networking (SCN) to deliver bonded/aggregated
connection and
WAN virtualization between existing POPS with concentrator elements. The
solution may provide
the ability to offer WAN-as-a-Service (WaaS) through a distributed POP
network.
Extending Bonded/aggregated Connections from Edge to Core
[00209] Embodiments described herein may implement SCN-edge into a core
network to
provide end-to-end Virtualized Networking and deliver next generation WAN
solutions using a
Virtual Network Overlay 150. Examples are shown in FIGs. 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 9c.
For example, the
VC connections may extend a bonded/aggregated connection to a core network
112.
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[00210] Two additional illustrative examples are shown in FIGs. 10 and
12. As shown in
FIG. 10, the extension of a bonded/aggregated connection from the edge to core
may be
provided using the following illustrative example options: 1) deploying a
virtual network overlay
strategy between PoP's with encryption (A); and 2) interconnecting PoP's with
private lines (B).
These are illustrative examples only.
[00211] In one exemplary embodiment, the Virtual Network Overlay 145
may provide
autonomy from any Carrier or Network in the core network 112. The core network
112 may be a
central component or part of a communications network and may be implemented
using
different networking technologies and protocols. The Virtual Network Overlay
145 may be
implemented as a virtual WAN backhaul between POPs 130 or concentrator
elements 110. The
Virtual Network Overlay 145 may be meshed Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE)
or virtual
Ethernet tunnel network (e.g. using VC connections 135a, 135b) connecting
multiple cloud
concentrator elements (e.g. from cloud concentrator 110a to cloud concentrator
110b). The
GRE protocol may belong to a specific VLAN by IP or Bridged.
[00212] Each concentrator element 110a, 110b may be part of a POP 130 or
may be
connected to a nearby POP 130. The concentrator element 110 may be referred to
as a virtual
WAN cloud concentrator instance generated by network controller 140 accessible
by way of an
SCN portal. Each concentrator element 110a, 110b may handle multiple bonded/
aggregated
connections and may handle one process per network or customer.
[00213] The network controller 140 may be accessed using an SCN portal as
an
illustrative embodiment. The SCN portal may be an interface to display real-
time data about the
network infrastructure and may be used to configure various components of the
network
infrastructure.
[00214] A CPE 124 a, 124b may be a virtual access CPE providing WAN or
Internet
access. It may have diverse carrier support with bandwidth aggregation.
Additional optional
features may include pre-emptive failover, lossless/ same IP and bi-
directional IPQoS
capabilities.
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[00215] A private backhaul or backbone option 155 may also be deployed
to provide
WAN solution. The private backhaul may include private MPLS or P2P links
between POPs
130.
[00216] As an illustrative embodiment a WAN employing Virtual Network
Overlay may be
.. referred to herein as VWAN.
[00217] In some instances, a VVVAN can be a VLAN associated per network
or customer.
[00218] Furthermore, virtual edge architecture may allow for the
Layering of MPLS or
other network protocol over the top of this implementation.
PoP-to-CPE Transparent Lower-Link Encryption for Aggregated/ Bonded Connection
[00219] Embodiments described herein may provide a virtual edge for
aggregated/
bonded connections with transparent lower-link encryption. FIG. 8a shows an
example virtual
edge 128.
Proximal Aggregation & Distributed CPE Encryption
[00220] In one embodiment, implementation of proximal aggregation
connects multi-site
customer CPE 124 devices to the nearest point-of-presence (POP) 130, thereby
establishing an
overlay network session with aggregated connections using the aggregated/
bonded connection
technology described herein. CPE 124 devices belonging to multi-site customers
may use the
larger non-aggregated Internet or backbone upstream connections to establish
Internet access
and build IPVPN connections for inter-office communications. This may
eliminate the need to
perform long-haul aggregation between sites which may degrade and/or negate
the aggregated
network performance when communicating at a distance.
Complexity of CPE Encryption for Multiple Tenants
[00221] CPE encryption for multi-tenant implementations add complexity
to the practice
of encrypted VPN when observed on a per customer basis and having to manage
overlapping
CPE LAN IP Subnets from various customers. Furthermore, this multi-tenant
management of
per customer IPVPN connections carries additional complexity when considering
the distributed
nature of these diverse VPN implementations and overlapping CPE LAN subnets.
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Simplifying PoP-to-CPE Encryption
[00222] To help ease the complexity and limitations of standard
encrypted IPVPN
implementations while addressing the nuances of overlapping CPE LAN IP
Subnets; a
transparent Lower-Link protocol encryption technology or process may be
deployed for the
virtual edge that does not concern itself with the CPE LAN IP Subnet. This
technology or
process can encrypt the Lower-Link encapsulated traffic and moves the
responsibility of the
CPE LAN IP Subnet management up into the ANA and IP transport layers, where it
can be
addressed adequately without the complications of encryption management and
complex
encryption policy definitions in a multi-tenant deployment.
PoP-to-CPE Transparent Lower-Link Encryption for Aggregated/ Bonded Network
[00223] In one exemplary embodiment, the Virtual Network Overlay may
provide PoP-to-
CPE Transparent Lower-Link Encryption for each aggregated/ bonded connection
116 using
virtual edge connections and virtual core (VC) connections. In an example
embodiment, the VC
connection may be implemented as a virtual Ethernet tunnel. This may eliminate
the need for
Customer IP intelligence in the encryption layer for Lower-Links. The
transparent lower-link
encryption at concentrator elements 110 can encrypt all aggregated/ bonded
encapsulation of
Lower-Link connections transparently. In one embodiment, the Virtual Network
Overlayis
designed such that concentrator element 110 if and when CPE 124 is configured
to enable
lower-link encryption. This allows for both the Virtual Network Overlayand non-
Virtual Network
OverlayCPE implementations. Therefore, the Virtual Network Overlay can reach
customers
with a secure connection that may go faster and may cost less than traditional
MPLS.
[00224] As illustrated in Figs. 13a and 13b, IPSEC encryption may be
used for Lower-
Link transport. This allows for multiple CPE customers with overlapping IP
subnets by not
triggering the policy based on customer LAN subnet.
[00225] In one embodiment, lower-link encapsulation may have a 32 Byte
overhead per
packet implemented on the LMTU and LMRU settings. Furthermore, the Vif0 or
'ana session',
may also have an overhead of 8 bytes implemented on the LMRRU setting of 1508.
[00226] IPSec encryption for Lower-Links may require an additional 72
Bytes for ESP
Tunnel Mode and may be accommodated in configuration in the LMTU and LMRU
settings,
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which may require changes to the calibration and also template configuration
in cloud network
controller 140 for service type of the Virtual Network Overlay.
[00227] Referring now to Fig. 11, an example of the Virtual Network
Overlay framework is
illustrated in accordance with one embodiment. At customer premises, a CPE 124
or a third
party device may be used to connect to concentrator element 110a through
aggregated/ bonded
connection 116.
[00228] The CPE 124 or a third party device may be situated at
overlapping IP subnets
and possibly dealing with cpelan conflicts. The concentrator elements 110a may
map Virtual
Edge to CPE Vif and update routing accordingly, via for example RADIUS
protocol, which
provides overlay identifier (e.g. vwanid) and other attributes (e.g. cpelan
attributes).
Concentrator elements 110a may also inject route to OSPF. Concentrator
elements 110a may
also inject the route(s) into the Virtual Core's dynamic routing mechanism
such as OSPF, RIP,
or BGP.
[00229] In some embodiments, as shown, various VC connections 135a,
135b can be
established between various concentrator elements 110a, 110b, 110c. These VC
connections
form a POP-to-POP Network Overlay, where each POP may include one or more
concentrator
elements 110. Transparent Encryption may be provided for the Virtual Network
Overlay core
transport. The Virtual Core connection 135 addresses the Virtual Control Plane
aspect of the
SDN to SCN Mapping as per the tables of system and network components herein.
The
transparent encryption of the virtual core tunneling protocol connections
address the Core /
Branch Infrastructure component of the SDN to SCN mapping for the Lower Plane
infrastructure
architecture as per the tables of system and network components herein.
[00230] The below tables demonstrate example functions and descriptions
for selected
components of the Virtual Network Overlay in accordance with one embodiment.
The Virtual
Network Overlay may be referred to herein as VWAN or virtual WAN as an
illustrative example.
System Components
Item Function Description
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Monitoring & The SCN Portal application may be extended to support the new
VWAN
Management monitoring and management requirements and provide a
single sign-on
unified Portal for VWAN customers.
4 Cloud Orchestration The SON Portal application may be modified to
support the new VWAN
/ Provisioning requirements as an extension to the aggregated
connection CPE device
provisioning.
3 Virtual Control Concentrators may join VWAN CPE sessions with VWAN
Core Routing
Plane VRF w/OSPF to create secluded customer Route Domains managed
dynamically
using OSPF, a dynamic routing protocol. This may avoid a network
trombone impact and may to support a split Internet & WAN access
from the PoP for the Virtual Data Plane.
2 Virtual Data Plane Concentrators perform Network Access Server (NAS)
type functions
Network Access & that connect and aggregate CPE devices on the edge of
the Core
CPE Authentication Network. New RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial In User
Service)
attribute capability may be added to support VWAN.
1 Security with IPSec Concentrators and CPE devices may handle both Edge
and Core
& Firewall encryption and Firewall to secure the network end-to-
end.
Network Overlay Core Layers
Layer Function Description
5 Virtual Control FIB for VRF Backbone Mapping Customer VWAN Trunk to
aggregated
Plane VRF w/OSPF connection Sessions (Core to Edge)
4 Star or Mesh VWAN Core Tunnels between PoPs/CCs in a Star or Mesh
Topology
Topology
3 Virtual Data Plane OSPF for Dynamic VWAN Routing Between PoPs/CCs
WI Dynamic Routing
2 Encryption for Encryption for VWAN Trunks w/IPSec for lower layer
traffic fully meshed
VWAN Core: between all CC's at all PoPs.
1 Firewall Allowing VWAN Trunk encryption while protecting foreign
encryption
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attempts.
Network Overlay Edge Layers
Layer Function Description
4 Virtual Control FIB for VRF Edge Mapping Customer ANA Sessions to
VWAN
Plane VRF Trunks (Edge to Core)
w/OSPF
Virtual Data Plane OSPF for Dynamic VWAN Routing Between PoPs/CCs
w/ Dynamic
Routing
3 Virtual Data Plane Uses Proximal Aggregation connecting multi-site
customer CPE
for ANA devices to the nearest POP establishing an overlay
network
w/Proximal between sites. The CPE devices establish ANA Sessions
with
Aggregation using Lower-Links Aggregation, Pre-emptive Lossless Failover, and
Bi-
Distributed PoPs Directional IPQoS. Split Internet & WAN access from the
Pop.
2 Encryption for Encryption for Lower-Links w/IPSec of aggregated
connection
ANA Lower-Links encapsulated transport. Supports both VWAN and non VWAN
CPE implementations.
1 Firewall Allowing CPE Lower-Link encryption while protecting
foreign
encryption attempts.
SDN TO SCN Mapping
SD WAN (SDN) IP Networking SCN SCN and VWAN (Virtual
Network Overlay)
Orchestration Management Plane SCN Portal Multi-System Integration
(OE, Tickets, NMS, CPE
API)
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Control Plane Forwarding Plane CC Multi-PoP
Virtual Control Plane
(FIB, VE to ViF, OSPF )
Data Plane Route Table CPE Virtual Data Plane
(Routes, ANA Vif, DG or
OSPF)
Encryption I PSec Security
Transparent Encryption
(LL & Core Transport)
OTT - Lower Plane Infrastructure (IP Underlayer)
Core / Cloud Internet Multi-PoP iBGP
Infrastructure (Multi-Peer, NNI,
CNI)
Site / Branch Internet Cable, ADSL, IP,
MPLS, Ethernet
Infrastructure or Private Line etc...
[00231] The SDN to SCN table provides an illustrative example mapping
between IP
networking, SDN, SCN and Virtual Network Overlay to highlight example
features. The
terminology is used as an example illustration and other terminology may be
used to reference
various functionality. The table summarizes example features to provide an
illustrative
mapping. The table also lists example features for Over-The-Top (OTT) lower
plane
infrastructure as further illustrative mappings.
Virtual Network Overlay with SCN
[00232] In one embodiment, Virtual WAN or Network Overlay may use cloud
network
controller 140 with SCN Cloud management and automation to create an Over-The-
Top Secure
High Performance Network that connects multiple WAN sites across Multiple
Points-of-
Presence between CPE devices.
[00233] The Network Overlay may provide Optimized Internet Access,
Secure WAN,
Diverse Carrier Failover, and Bi-Directional IPQoS.
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Carrier/Partner Features
[00234] In another embodiment, the VWAN configuration can support multi-
tenant
implementations by providing features such as route domain separation for
overlapping
customer IP Subnets, star and/or mesh WAN topology options with multipath WAN
trunking,
and dynamic per-VWAN routing updates with OSPF.
[00235] In one example, the Virtual Network Overlay (which may be
referred to as
VWAN) may provide PoP-to-PoP transparent VWAN trunk encryption, which has
features such
as:
= Reduction of complexity by eliminating the need for Customer LAN
intelligence in the
encryption layer between PoPs;
= Transparent customer WAN Core / Trunk encryption between PoPs. VWAN core
trunks can be established for each multi-tenant customer as transparent
Ethernet
over IP tunnels that run on top of a single encryption session between
CC's/PoPs;
= Distributed PoPs provide a Virtual Point-of-Presence Network, enabling
VWAN
solutions to reach multi-site customers across North America.
[00236] The SCN Portal can be provided for accessing and configuring a
cloud network
controller 140 for ease of deployment and management of the VWAN. The SCN
Portal can
provide the following exemplary features:
= OE, Install and Configuration, Monitoring & Management
= Plugs Into Existing Monitoring System
= Centralized Firewall, WiFi, & VWAN Control
= Consistent Monitoring, Reporting & Management for all sites regardless of
local
carrier or connection type
PoP-to-PoP Transparent Trunk Encryption
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[00237] VWAN may have a distributed PoP network covering North America
for
aggregation/ bonded network services delivering speed, network efficiency, and
reach for multi-
site businesses.
[00238] A Virtual Point-of-Presence Carrier for the aggregated network
system as
described herein may provide customers with hot failover providing redundant
and fault tolerant
communications, supporting distributed points of presence for proximal
aggregation throughout
North America.
Distributed Proximal Aggregation with ANA & Multi-PoP
[00239] In another embodiment, Distributed Proximal Aggregation (DPA)
may be
implemented. DPA uses redundant Concentrators 110 established in multiple
locations covering
a multitude of Proximal Aggregation points known as Home-PoPs 130. Each
Concentrator 110
supports multi-tenant configurations used for multiple clients associated with
different CPEs 124
to improve network performance for such multiple clients by providing
termination of their
aggregation service and transfer of communications to the network backbone /
Internet 112.
This network solution may include multiple Points-of-Presence 130, distributed
geographically
bridging disparate areas with improved network communication with proximal
aggregation to
each customer CPE device 124.
Complexity of PoP-to-PoP Encryption for Multiple Tenants
[00240] PoP-to-PoP encryption for multi-tenant implementations adds
complexity and
may have limitations for the practice of Encrypted VPN between PoPs when
observed on a per
customer basis and having to deal with overlapping CPE LAN IP Subnets from
various
customers. Furthermore, the multi-tenant management of per customer IPVPN
connections
carries additional complexity when considering the distributed nature of these
many diverse
VPN implementations and overlapping CPE LAN subnets.
Simplifying PoP-to-PoP Encryption
[00241] In one embodiment, to overcome complexity and limitations of
standard
encrypted IPVPN implementations while addressing challenges of overlapping CPE
LAN IP
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Subnets, extrapolation of the CPE LAN transport over the VWAN core from the
encryption layer
may be implemented to simplify the PoP-to-PoP encryption management.
[00242] In one example, Ethernet over IP tunnel (VE/gif)
implementations on a per
customer VWAN basis provides transparent encryption of these combined tunnels
to simplify
customer VWAN encryption requirements between PoPs 130.
[00243] This method moves the management of CPE LAN IP Subnets away
from the
VWAN Trunk encryption layer and up into the IP transport and IP routing
layers.
[00244] In another embodiment, PoP-to-PoP Transparent VWAN Trunk
Encryption may
be implemented to eliminate the need for customer LAN intelligence in the
encryption layer
between PoPs, provide transparent customer WAN Core / trunk encryption between
PoPs, and
provide single encryption session between CC's/PoP's on top of which
transparently create per
customer multi-tenant Ethernet over IP tunnels (VE/gif) to facilitate VWAN
Core Trunks.
[00245] The transparent encryption of the virtual core tunneling
protocol connections
address the Core / Branch Infrastructure component of the SDN to SCN mapping
for the Lower
Plane infrastructure architecture as per the tables of system and network
components herein.
Virtual Backhaul ¨ Multi-Tenant Support
[00246] In another embodiment, an over-the-top or Virtual Network
Overlay solution can
be implemented for the PoP-to-PoP interconnection of the core network. This
solution can
support multi-tenant implementations by providing route domain separation for
overlapping
customer IP Subnets, star and/or mesh WAN topology options with multipath WAN
trunking,
and dynamic per-VWAN routing updates with OSPF. This addresses the Virtual
Control Plane
component of the SDN to SCN mapping as per the tables of system and network
components
herein.
Per Customer Trunking
[00247] In order to address the potential overlapping of CPE LAN IP
Subnets, the design
associates VE PoP-to-PoP tunnels per customer VWAN with a distinct route
domain by
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mapping VE trunks and ANA Vif sessions to unique FlBs/Route tables creating a
per customer
VWAN Route domain from one CPE to another CPE over the VWAN core.
Ethernet over IP tunnels (VE/gif) for Trunking
[00248] The VE/gif interface can be a generic tunneling device for IPv4
and IPv6. It can
tunnel IPv[46] traffic over IPv[46], thereby supporting four possible
configurations. The behavior
of gif is mainly based on RFC2893 IPv6-over-IPv4 configured tunnel.
Star & Mesh for Backhaul Network
[00249] Aggregation sessions are generally established between PoP's on
a per
customer basis. As seen below, a Star or a full Mesh implementation may be
provided to
address the varying needs of the customer.
Star Topology
[00250] Referring now to Fig. 14, aggregation sessions established from
all CPE side
PoP's to Head Quarter's PoP 110a from the customer VWAN CC's and using the
dedicated
Multi-ANA instance which is associated to the dedicated customer FIB. CPE LAN
traffic
destined for the Head Quarter's LAN can traverse the ANA PoP-to-PoP session
with full IPSec
encryption.
Full Mesh Topology
[00251] Referring now to Fig. 15, aggregation sessions established from
CPE side PoP's
to Head Quarter's PoP 110a & also to every PoP containing this particular
customer's CPE
connections. The PoP-to-PoP ANA sessions originate and terminate on the
customer VWAN
CC's and use the dedicated Multi-ANA instance which is associated to the
dedicated customer
FIB. CPE LAN traffic destined for any other customer LAN can traverse the ANA
PoP-to-PoP
sessions with full IPSec encryption.
Rate-Limit & QoS
[00252] In another embodiment, The Virtual Network Overlay may provide the
ability to
subscribe to specific PoP-to-PoP bandwidth controlled by ANA RLA. Virtual
Network Overlay
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may have the ability to use the IPDE RLA on lower-links for the Virtual Data
Path (e.g. may be
an aggregated product) and also between PoPs in the Virtual Control Plane
(VC). The Virtual
Network Overlay may provide VC connections, for example.
SCN Lite - RAS & Open Architecture
[00253] As shown in Fig. 16, routers with static ANA IP assignments can be
implemented
to connect as SCN-Lite for fixed sites. This embodiment opens up access to non-
aggregated/bonded connection third party devices and software clients. In some
embodiments,
this may involve configuration of third party devices including both CPE and
CCs. For example,
a third party device may be a router. In some embodiments, third party
devices, the CPE may
be configured to support both non Aggregated and Aggregated implementations.
[00254] Embodiments described herein may involve particular
configuration of third party
network infrastructure for the Virtual Network Overlay, SCN, MDPS and IDPE
functionality. The
network infrastructure may be configured to support bonded/aggregated
connections with multi-
POP to provide improved virtual networking functionality. The Virtual Network
Overlay may be
implemented with carrier autonomy and independent CPE components supplied by
third parties,
for example. This may enable a user to avoid vendor lock as they update their
CPE with
particular configurations to support the Virtual Network Overlay. For example,
third party
routers may be upgraded with particular configurations described herein
without requiring
replacement of all hardware for the CPE.
[00255] In one embodiment, both ANA2 and L2TP link types may be supported
simultaneously. There may also be a need to support multiple ANA2 ports such
as x.x.x.x:6666,
7777, and 8888.
[00256] In another embodiment, ANA2-Server may support L2TP clients by
configuring
wildcard and NAT for Lower-Links security tasks on IPSec. Therefore, one
solution may be
implemented via mostly CLI and scripts. In one example, new RADIUS attributes
may be added
for third party device identification. For instance, new attribute may be set
to SCNLITE, with
value set to 1 or 0, and default value set to 0.
[00257] In yet another embodiment, CLI values may be changed to support
both ANA2
and L2TP simultaneously.
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[00258] A third party device may be configured to connect to an
aggregate of multiple
connections between concentrator elements using L2TP as the Lower-Links
transport. This
illustrative example uses L2TP which supports multilink and is used for
connecting to ISP's and
for remote access.
[00259] The particular configurations may enable integration of third party
devices into
the Virtual Network Overlay infrastructure to turn the third party devices
into concentrator
elements or CPE devices.
[00260] For third party CPE device support, an example illustrative
embodiment may use
MLPPP RFC 1990 with an aggregated/bonded connection as an overlay on top of
common
access protocols such as L2TP, PPPoE, or PPTP with multiple route tables and
or static routes
to manage and separate the Lower-Link traffic for aggregation. Once the
traffic is separated we
use MLPPP on the CPE to connect with CC elements.
[00261] The following process for configuration operations may be
used.
[00262] First, the process may involve separating CPE traffic on the
Lower-Links
connecting the network infrastructure components. This may operation may
involve
configuration of a third party router (as part of the CPE) to update Lower-
Links and multiple
network connections . This may involve using a static IP route on each of the
multiple interfaces
or a dynamically assigned IP via DHCP or PPPoE or other protocol. This may
further involve
removing the default route on these interfaces or use of a separate routing
table for each, such
as a virtual routing and forwarding (VRF), for example. Static routes or
multiple route tables may
be added on each respective Lower-Link for the corresponding the CC Lower-Link
IP. This
effectively separates the Lower-Links data traffic.
[00263] Next, the process may involve CPE Links configuration for a
Common Access
Protocol. The Common Access Protocol may be for encapsulation and aggregation
of data
packets. This supports third party router equipment configuration for
aggregated/bonded
connection access using L2TP, PPPoE, PPTP, or other protocol. This may involve
setup of
virtual dialer templates for the lower-link transport using L2TP, PPPoE, or
PPTP, for example.
The virtual dialer templates allow for traditional MLPPP RFC 1990 to function
over IP versus
lower level serial type connections to T1 circuits. This may also involve
setup of a multilink
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bundle with PPP multilink over the lower-link transport infrastructure. The
aggregated/bonded
connection may be compatible for MLPPP once the lower-link transport is
compliant with a
supported protocol such as L2TP, PPPoE, or PPTP, for example. This may also
involve
configuration of the third party router / CPE to use the multilink virtual
interface as the default
gateway.
[00264] These process operations may be used for CPE based on a third
party device
such as a third party router. From a Lower-Links perspective before
aggregation these
operations may ensure each lower-link has a separate path, and adds a static
route for lower
level IP address link. This may provide support for aggregated/bonded
connections with a
common transport protocol (L2TP). This may configure routers with multi-link
over IP and
provide lower-link encapsulation of data packets. For example, this may
provide lower link
encapsulation support for L2TP and PPPoE and PPTP and other protocols such as
DHCP,
UDP.
[00265] Further configurations may involve operations for CC to be
compatible with lower
links of configured third party device.
[00266] An operation may involve CC element configuration with MLPPP
for Common
Access Lower-Link Protocols. A CC for aggregated/bonded connections may be
configured with
MLPPP support over common Lower-Link transport protocols such as L2TP, PPPoE,
or PPTP.
This adds transport compatibility on the encapsulation side.
[00267] In an aspect, embodiments described herein may provide a Virtual
Network
Overlay for intelligent packet distribution over a plurality of potentially
diverse links. The system
may include an intelligent packet distribution engine ("IPDE") that
incorporates or is linked to
means for executing a decision tree. The IPDE, in real time, obtains data
traffic parameters and,
based on the data traffic parameters and performance criteria, selectively
applies one or more
techniques to alter the traffic over selected communication links to conform
to the data traffic
parameters.
[00268] Another operation may involve CC element configuration for the
IPDE which can
manage outbound packets to the CPE for differing speed links and RLA QoS. The
CC element
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may use echo packets received from the CPE to implement aspects of the IPDE. A
third party
router may not be configured to support the IPDE and may not support differing
speeds upload
to the CC. For embodiments described herein, the CC may be updated to provide
this IPDE
implementation. Some example embodiments may be limited to Nx (Least Common
Speed
link) for aggregation. The configured CC element provides the
aggregated/bonded connections.
[00269] A further operation may involve CC element configuration with
MDPS support for
fast failover and can use the third party Router configuration of Lower-Link
transport LCP echo
packets as control packets. The CC makes its own calculations based on the LCP
echo packets
for QoE scores and fast advanced failover. The third party router does not
have MDPS and
does not pre-emptively inform the CC over the other good links of a potential
problem. The third
party router may not have MDPS and may not calculate QoE scores from the LCP
echo packets
in some embodiments. The third party router may not have IPDE and pre-emptive
failover. In
an example, the CC takes echo packets or requests from the router (an example
CPE) and
generates QoE scores. The cloud controller may pull data from CC elements and
augment data
from router QoE to support IPDE, for example.
[00270] The same may be said in the reverse where some embodiments may
involve
setup of an ISP access core router to participate as a CC and connect to it
with ANA CPE
devices.
[00271] These operations may configure CC elements for separated lower-link
traffic
L2TP & IPSec on CC for Third Pa Clients
[00272] An example embodiment, may involve IPSec Transport Mode
Required with NAT
Traversal Support. Example configuration details for third party devices are
described herein
and may be used for L2TP and IPSec implementations.
.. New Dynamic IP Address Pool for RAS
[00273] For remote access, and portability between PoPs on all CC's, in
some
embodiment, each CC 110 will be assigned a dynamic IP address Pool configured
to support
dynamic clients. IPSec may be used to provide the transparent lower-link
encryption for CPE
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devices to address the encryption layer of the lower-link access in the tables
of system and
network components herein.
Dynamic Client RADIUS Account
[00274] In some embodiment, the Virtual Network Overlay may implement a
dynamic IP
address strategy for RAS accounts and type.
OSPF ¨ BIRD ¨ Route Domains
[00275] In another embodiment, as shown in Fig. 17, once transparent
encrypted
transport of VC connections between PoPs for each customer and multiple CPE
devices
connecting on either side of the VC connections are established, individual
Routing Domains
may be designated in operating systems to map VE to Vif, creating a per
customer Forwarding
Information Base (FIB) to address the overlapping CPE LAN IP Subnets problem
by
implementing per VVVAN Customer Routing Domains. For example, individual
Routing Domains
may be designated for an example operating system using FlBs in Agni0S/FreeBSD
to map VE
to Vif. BIRD can support for multiple instances per VWAN and iBGP filters out
WVANs.
[00276] In one embodiment, concentrator element 110 may advertise and
receive routes
from different FlBs over OSPF. A new CLI node router-ospf may be added to
configure, show,
enable and disable OSPF routes. In another embodiment, a new configure editor
may be
needed for OSPF configurations.
[00277] In some embodiment, two options exist for ensuring
compatibility for BGP &
OSPF on concentrator element 110. First option may be to use two different
applications, BIRD
for eBGP and iBGP, and BIRD-FIB for OSPF. The second option may be use one
application
for both BGP and OSPF.
[00278] In both cases, the routes from the default FIB or all FlBs can
be advertised to
BGP upstream neighbours. Concentrator element 110 may need to add some filters
to prevent
unnecessary BGP routes from being advertised. If both BGP and OSPF use the
same
configuration file for common sections such as kernel, static, direct, parts
may need to be
compatible for both protocols.
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[00279] In some embodiment, BIRD may be used with iBGP for propagating
connected
CPE devices on the concentrator element 110. BIRD may have support for
multiple instances of
OSPF that can be used for managing virtual network overlay route domains.
OSPF ¨ Managing Per Customer Routing Domains
[00280] In one embodiment, using the Open Shortest Path (OSPF) routing
protocol for
VWAN Route Domains provides an easy to manage dynamic IF Routing Core in a
Multi-Tenant
environment.
Dynamic Routing For VWAN Mesh Configuration
[00281] As illustrated in Fig. 18, in one embodiment, BIRD and OSPF (or
RIP) with multi-
Fib support and filters for each FIB can be implemented to achieve dynamic
routing for VWAN
Mesh configuration.
[00282] In one embodiment, only the remote LAN may be advertised. In
another
embodiment, IP addresses for CPE bonded connections may not be advertised, as
instead
they may be handled by the Internet.
RADIUS for Centralized VWAN Access Control
[00283] In one embodiment, concentrator element 110 can utilize RADIUS
protocol,
which provides an overlay identifier (e.g. vwanid) and other attributes (e.g.
cpelan attributes).
Concentrator elements 110 may also inject route to OSPF for centralized
management of new
vwanid & cpelan attributes
[00284] In another embodiment, new concentrator element 110 RADIUS
processing of
new attributes can dynamically manage customer virtual network overlay mapping
for ANA
interface to virtual network overlay route domains.
[00285] In addition, attributes may be used by concentrator element 110
to inject LAN
routes into a dynamic routing protocol such as RIP, OSPF, and iBGP.
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[00286] For security and to protect against a first Customer connecting
to a second
Customer ANA2 instance by changing ports on lower-links, an additional RADIUS
attribute to
identify the unique customer (e.g. "VWANGROUP") may be needed.
[00287] An additional level of security on the ANA2 instance may be
needed to inform
RADIUS the "VWANGROUP" and therefore RADIUS allows this CC/ANA2 instance to
authenticate CPE users that belong to the group identified by ID "VWANGROUP".
[00288] Furthermore, it may be advantageous to allow multiple customers
in the case of
a trading partner or trusted partner.
[00289] An example configuration on concentrator element 110 may be to
set the unique
customer ID ("vwangroup") to a first customer ID customer1 and a second
customer ID
customer2.
[00290] In another embodiment, the variable $fib may be used to set
values for the
unique customer ID ("vwangroup").
Authentication System Modification
[00291] Embodiments described herein may implement an Identity, Policy and
Audit
(IPA) suite or other type of authentication system. An example, is Free IPA.
An Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is an open industry standard application
protocol for
accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an
Internet Protocol
(IP) network. LDAP may also be part of an authentication system. Remote
Authentication Dial In
User Service (RADIUS) is a networking protocol that provides centralized
Authentication,
Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) management for users who connect and use a
network
service. RADIUS may also be part of an authentication system. In one
embodiment, a custom
attribute may be created in LDAP and enabled to be visible to concentrator
element 110. Since
everything in LDAP is hierarchical, including object-classes and attributes,
to create a custom
attribute, the appropriate scheme file needs to be edited. This is an example
implement.
Embodiments described herein may provide an authentication backend for the
Virtual Network
Overlay which may include LDAP or RADIUS, or both.
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[00292] If the custom attribute requires a new Idif file, a new file
may need to be created
and stored in the appropriate scheme file.
[00293] An attribute may be created by matching objectClasses and
attributeTypes
exactly.
[00294] To make a new attribute visible to concentrator element 110, the
attribute may be
added into two files: attribute map and FreeRadius. These are illustrative
example files.
[00295] If the attribute needs a custom dictionary, a file can be
created. For example, the
file may be created as "/usr/share/freeradius" dictionary.yourName.
Define the attribute in Idap.attrmap
[00296] In one embodiment, the Idap.attrmap can map dictionary attributes
to LDAP
directory to be used by LDAP authentication. For example, the attribute may be
added in
"/etc/raddb". When all changes are done, RADIUS or other authentication system
may be
restarted.
IPDE-RLA Dynamic
[00297] In another embodiment, dynamic IPDE-RLA implemented on VWAN can
bring
dynamic bandwidth reservation for RLA allowing IPDE-RLA-bypass rules for
traffic for which the
reserve bandwidth can be specified and dynamically applied, if the traffic
exists. When the traffic
is no longer present, the bandwidth can be released for use by other
applications.
[00298] One illustrative example is Voice and Video with Data. For
instance, voice tends
to be much easier to deal with in a static configuration. It requires
relatively low bandwidth and
the reservation of this bandwidth can be an acceptable sacrifice for the other
applications.
Video conferencing, on the other hand, tends to require large amounts of
bandwidth (from
upload perspective) and is not always on. The problem is that in order for a
static system to
support video, it needs to reserve the bandwidth all the time and this is not
an acceptable
sacrifice for other applications.
[00299] In another embodiment, "dynamic, bandwidth, timeout" parameters
can be
added to support the new feature.
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[00300] In some embodiment, means to control certificates may be
required within cloud
manager 140.
[00301] There may be many dependencies associated with ANA
connections. Some of
which govern the Lower-Link activities such as obtaining DHCP address for the
links.
[00302]
Virtual WAN Backhaul ¨ Multi-Tenant Support
[00303] In one embodiment, the Virtual Network Overlay may provide a
virtual WAN
backhaul with multi-tenant support.
VC connection management (CLI & SCN)
[00304] In one embodiment, the Virtual Network Overlay may provide VC
connection
management. Example configurations for VC connection management may include:
= delete ve VE
= set ve VE ip-address 1p Netmask
= set ve VC connection IP
[00305] In one embodiment, the Virtual Network Overlay may provide VC
connection
management. Example configurations for fibs support may include:
= delete ye VC [fib]
= set ve VC ip-address 1p Netmask [fib]
= set ve VC connection IP [fib]
[00306] An automated means may map the various VC interfaces with
customer Route
tables / VRF in the cloud that uses an API connection to the VC devices
(Concentrators) and
performs the otherwise manual task
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Map VC & Vif to FIB (RADIUS on CC)
[00307] An automated means may map the various VC interfaces with
customer Route
tables / VRF and also with customer ANA sessions in the cloud that uses an API
connection to
the VC devices (Concentrators) and performs the otherwise manual task.
Map Vif to FIB (RADIUS on CC)
[00308] In example embodiments, once CPE connects to CC, CC can read
the
CPEVWANID from CPE radius configuration and then can run commands such as:
ifconfig $interface fib $CPEVWAN1D
[00309] This may use the $CPEVWAN1D as the FIB number for this CPE's
Vif interface,
and thus map this CPE Vif interface to the specific FIB. The use of a
centralized store which in
this example scenario is RADIUS to maintain VWAN specific details which in
turn are used by
the Concentrators / VC to automate the interconnectivity of the VWAN control
Plan and Data
plane.
Map VC to FIB (RADIUS on CC)
[00310] In example embodiments, VC interfaces can be created only in the
default FIB
(FIB 0) and will manage traffic between this CC and other CCs. Firewall rules
and routes will be
added to distribute CPE VWAN traffic from/to each FIB.
[00311] In example embodiments, VC interfaces can also be created in
different FIB's,
same as the CPE Vif interface. RADIUS is an illustrative example
authentication component.
IP node, system node, CLI & scripts, SCN
[00312] In example embodiments, IP nodes may provide FIB support for VE
interface
management. In some example embodiments, system node may provide FIB support
which
may be required for any command with an interface specified
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Operating System support for 4096 or greater FIB's
[00313] In example embodiments, different operating systems may be
support multiple
FlBs. For example, AgniOS v4.1.2+ may support multiple FlBs (e.g. up to 16 in
some
examples). For each WAN to have a unique FIB, we will need to add many more
FIB's.
net.fibs
[00314] In example embodiments, there may be support for 4096
individual VWANs.
Each VWAN will not need multiple FIB's for each CPE as the CC brings them in
on seffib $FIB
ana2-server.
net.add addr allfibs = 0 (ANA only affect $F1BCUST for ANA2-$CUST)
[00315] In example embodiments, implementations may enable addition of
routes on all
FlBs for new interfaces by default. When this is set to 0, it will only
allocate routes on interface
changes for the FIB of the caller when adding a new set of addresses to an
interface. Note that
this tunable and is set to 1 by default.
Portal Management for the Virtual Network Overlay
[00316] Cloud manager 140 can provide for Ease of Deployment and
Management via
implementation of following functions and features:
= OE, Install & Config, Monitoring & Management
= Plugs Into Existing Monitoring System
= Centralized Firewall, WiFi, & the Virtual Network Overlay Control
= Consistent Monitoring, Reporting & Mgmt. for all sites regardless of
local carrier or
connection type
[00317] Items for management can include:
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= CPE ANA Lower-Link Encryption/IPSec
= CC PoP-to-PoP ANA Lower-Link Encryption/IPSec for the V2L
= Spawning dedicated Multi-ANA CC instance per Customer FIB on Virtual
Network
Overlay CC Virtual Machines / vm9000
= BIRD OSPF for Dynamic Routing of Virtual Network Overlay aggregated/bonded
connection sessions
= CC VWAN Firewall profile per Customer/FIB
= CPE Firewall
= Management & Monitoring for Virtual Network Overlay CPE & CC
= QoE rules on CPE for Enterprise Virtual Network Overlay & APPS
= QoE rules on CC VWAN for WAN & APPS
= Advanced Traffic Analytics for Virtual Network Overlay & Internet
= Bandwidth usage reporting for Virtual Network Overlay, CPE, Internet
[00318] Categories for management can include:
= Order Entry
= Install and configuration
= Quality-of-Experience
= Monitoring & Management w/Advanced Traffic Analytics
= New: VWAN Calibrate (CPELAN to HQLAN)
= SCN PostgreSQL Database (ZTP2, Nagios RRD, Nefflow)
= Nagios Monitoring System (Config, RRD, MYSQL)
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= Neff low Collector System
= Identity, Policy and Audit (IPA) suite software (e.g. FreelPA with AAA,
LDAP)
= RT Tickets System
= AgniOS or other operating system API
Design New DB Tables & Structure
[00319] A new ID Table may be created for the Virtual Network Overlay
by specifying
variables such as vwanid, vwansubnet (RFC1918 /24), partnerid, custid.
[00320] VWANID variable may be set by specifying or searching for cloud
concentrator
pairs and selecting a topology (e.g. star or mesh).
[00321] The Core Virtual Network Overlay (e.g. VC connections) between
PoPs/Concentrator elements may be set up. Concentrator elements can be
configured for VC
connections.sending via AGNIAPID VC connections require private IP assigned
from
$vwansubnet where each concentrator elementsshares same src (x.x.x.1/24) MAP
VE
interfaces in TABLE for each VWAN and concentrator element Pairs.
[00322] Unique identifier for the Virtual Network Overlay may be selected,
CPELAN
attributes may be set. The attributes may be added to LDAP/RADIUS for CPE
profile. QoE
parameters may be set for HQ/CC VE.
ZTP Database Design & Structure
[00323] Figs. 19a and 19b illustrate exemplary relationship diagrams for
cloud manager
140 and SCN Database and tables.
Portal Access Control List (ACL)
[00324] Portal Access Control List for managing portal resources is
also illustrated in
Figs. 19a and 19b.
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New Dynamic IP Address Pool for RAS
[00325] For remote access, and portability between PoPs on all
concentrator elements
110, each concentrator element may need a dynamic IP address Pool configured
to support
dynamic clients. For example, dynamic IP pool may be assigned to each
concentrator element,
and/ or each concentrator element may be further configured for a dynamic
pool.
[00326] This method can allow traveling users to connect with proximal
remote access
termination for optimal service.
[00327] Exemplary components of cloud manager 140:
1. ACL 6. Workflow / Navigation
11. Netflow/Nagios
2. DB / Schema 7. User-interface /
Forms 12. Agniapid
3. ORM 8. MAC/ Serial Lookup
13. Multi-tier segregation
4. Mail Service 9. Testing 14.
Virtual Network Overlay
5. RT API / Email Interfacing 10. IP Plan Integration
15. Managed FVV & VPN...
Distributed Cloud Firewall/Intrusion Prevention
[00328] ANA GRID Routing and Firewall can be controlled from the cloud
and achieve
software defined networking and global denial of service with intrusion
detection protection.
Centralized Control for all BGP and Firewall devices.
[00329] In one embodiment, centralized control of all BGP devices (e.g.
from VIPS
implementation) may be required.
[00330] In another embodiment, Dissemination of Flow Specification
Rules may be
achieved by using RFC 5575.
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Global Denial of Service Detection
[00331] In one embodiment, a Denial of Service Attack can be detected
at any device
and a global defence may be triggered according. This attack can be filtered
to prevent entry to
any ANA Grid controlled Network.
Global Intrusion Detection
[00332] A simplified Intrusion detection software instance running on
all BGP devices
controlled by cloud manager 140 can inform the cloud manager 140, which can
make a
centralized intrusion detection decision with threat level analysis.
[00333] Upon intrusion decision, the system can propagate a deny rule
for said traffic to
all devices and the culprit traffic will be filtered out from all PoPs. This
technology can also
extend to the CPE devices.
Wi-Fi Enterprise Access Security for Operating System
[00334] Software Controlled Networking solutions can provide the most
efficient means of
combining multiple connections for WAN, Internet, & Voice convergence for the
enterprise. The
WiFi access security may be implemented for various operating systems, such
as, for example,
Agni0S.
[00335] In addition, CPE devices can provide WiFi for the Enterprise
using Virtual Access
Point technology with centralized authentication and security, managed central
portal of cloud
manager 140 in the cloud.
Virtual Access Point
[00336] A Virtual Access Point (VAP) is the implementation of a
secondary Wi-Fi AP or
Hotspot using multiple SSID's (Service Set Identification) and or WLAN
interfaces over a
common physical Wi-Fi radio. VAP's can be used to separate groups of users
such as guests
and employees for security and privacy purposes.
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VAP w/WEP + VPN
[00337] When used as an access point for Wi-Fl devices, VWAN can
support Enterprise
grade Wi-Fl services using a combination of cloud management features, CPE
firewall, and
CPE VPN remote access VPN capabilities that work with the customer's corporate
authentication mechanisms such as Active Directory or RADIUS.
CPE PPTP-Server & Active Directory/RADIUS
[00338] As illustrated in Fig. 20, in one exemplary embodiment, the
CPE <pptp-server>
node can use the corporate Active Directory security, or Customer RADIUS
database for
assigning users to special remote access groups which in turn assigns users to
VLANs on the
CPE device.
[00339] In another embodiment, creation of new dedicated concentrator
elements (CC's)
110 for Large Enterprise customers may be used to provide private meshes
between PoPs for
transport of WAN traffic with Over-The-Top control from both Edge (CPE to Home-
PoP) and
Core (PoP-to-PoP between CC's).
Multiple Aggregated/Bonded Connection implementations
[00340] Multiple aggregated/bonded connections (which may be referred
to as ANATM,
ANA2TM) implementations may be run in one embodiment, assigning one
aggregated/bonded
process for each Large Enterprise customer and associating this
aggregated/bonded instance
to a particular FIB.
Advantages and Use Case
[00341] The embodiments described herein may improve network
performance between
disparate locations by leveraging network bonding/aggregation technology, but
by implementing
a system, method and network configuration that provides intervening network
components
disposed adjacent to access points so as to manage traffic between two or more
sites such that
bonded/aggregated connections are terminated and traffic is directed to a
network backbone,
and optionally passed to one or more further bonded/aggregated connections
associated with a
remote additional site.
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[00342] The network solutions of the present invention are flexible,
responsive, scalable
and easy to implement. New sites, optionally having their own CPE-CE and/or
CCPE can be
easily added, and the network solution supports various types of multi-point
network
communications, and various network performance improvement strategies
including various
QoS techniques.
[00343] The network solution is easily updated with new programming or
logic that is
automatically distributed on a peer to peer basis based on the interoperation
of network
components that is inherent to their design, as previously described.
[00344] As explained earlier, embodiments of the present invention may
offer advantages
over the prior art technologies, including, for example:
1. Carrier diversity
2. Failover protection
3. Aggregated bandwidth
4. Bi-directional communication
5. Network quality of service (QoS)
6. No dropped calls
7. Application acceleration
8. Quality of Experience scoring
[00345] In addition, combining MPLS network with the link aggregation/
bonding
technology described in the exemplary embodiments is an approach to satisfying
end customer
needs on an MPLS network, namely:
= Use of multiple low cost broadband circuits (for greater uptime and
resiliency)
= Support of prioritization and CoS for priority traffic
= Hybrid MPLS or backup network strategy without having to abandon MPLS
features
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[00346]
Furthermore, additional advantages provided by embodiments of the present
invention may include:
= It paves a way for each carrier or network provider to offer an
innovative MPLS network
over broadband solution that is differentiated from their competitor's
offering.
= Customers
would be able to select the given carrier or provider for Hybrid and/or Backup
MPLS solutions via a customized network configuration.
= Cloud provisioning, or "Zero Touch Provisioning" can configure/
reconfigure all the
network elements dynamically.
= An ability to aggregate/terminate multiple MPLS providers in a single
location.
= Interoperability between networks can be handled by the cloud provisioning
element.
= Network providers or partners can deliver an "any/any/any" experience to
their
customers ¨ BYOMPLS (Bring Your Own MPLS) ability to the network providers or
partners.
= Customers would be able to select carriers offering MPLS with link
aggregation/bonding
over broadband to obtain QoS, Resiliency, and application acceleration not
achievable
with current offerings on the market.
= And many others.
[00347]
Network performance is significantly improved over prior art solutions as
illustrated in the Example In Operation provided above.
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