System and method for provision and management of segmented virtual networks within a physical communications network

1. A method, comprising:

configuring a plurality of network domains of a host communications network (HCN), wherein each network domain provides a network configuration for a virtual communications network (VCN) provisioned within the HCN for an enterprise customer of the HCN, which provides a virtual communications subnetwork of the HCN from which the enterprise customer can provision communications services for a communications services business, and wherein the HCN provides bandwidth over outroute channels and inroute channels of the HCN for the VCNs;

configuring a plurality of outroute capacity partitions via one or more of the outroute channels of the HCN and configuring a plurality of inroute capacity partitions via one or more inroute groups of the HCN, wherein each inroute group includes one or more of the inroute channels of the HCN, and wherein each outroute capacity partition supports a respective level of outroute bandwidth and each inroute capacity partition supports a respective level of inroute bandwidth;

allocating one or more of the outroute capacity partitions and one or more of the inroute capacity partitions to a first VCN to provision a designated level of the outroute bandwidth and a designated level of the inroute bandwidth to the first VCN; and

configuring one or more operator classifications within the network domain associated with the first VCN, wherein each operator classification specifies a set of network operator capabilities and permissions allocated to one or more virtual network operators assigned to that classification; and

wherein the designated level of outroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN via the allocated one or more outroute capacity partitions is provisioned as a level of bandwidth in megabits-per-second (Mbps), and the allocated one or more outroute capacity partitions supports a portion of overall outroute spectrum of the HCN, and

wherein the designated level of inroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN via the allocated one or more inroute capacity partitions is provisioned as a level of bandwidth in megabits-per-second (Mbps), and the allocated one or more inroute capacity partitions supports a portion of overall inroute spectrum of the HCN.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the outroute channels of the HCN are provided via a gateway server, and the outroute capacity partitions configured via the one or more of the outroute channels are provisioned via at least one respective IP gateway (IPGW) instance, and

the one or more inroute groups of the HCN are provided via an inroute bandwidth manager, and the inroute capacity partitions configured via the one or more inroute groups are provisioned via at least one respective inroute quality of service (IQOS) plan.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the inroute bandwidth manager is associated with an inroute channel demodulator, and inroute transmissions of each of the IQOS plans of the first VCN are received via a respective channel of the inroute channel demodulator.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the outroute channels is dedicated to the first VCN to support the designated level of the outroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN, and at least one of the inroute groups is dedicated to the first VCN to support the designated level of the inroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

the at least one outroute channel dedicated to the first VCN each provides a respective portion of the designated level of the outroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN; and

the at least one inroute group dedicated to the first VCN each provides a respective portion of the designated level of the inroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

at least one of the operator classifications comprises predetermined levels of configuration control, operational/management control, monitoring capabilities, and troubleshooting/maintenance capabilities allocated to the one or more virtual network operators (VNOs) assigned to that classification; and

the one operator classification enables an associated VNO (assigned to that classification) to configure one or more IP gateway (IPGW) instances within the outroute network element(s) dedicated to the first VCN, wherein each IPGW instance facilitates a provision of a fixed level of outroute bandwidth to a respective subnetwork within the first VCN, and enables the associated VNO to configure one or more inroute quality of service (IQOS) plans within the inroute group(s) dedicated to the first VCN, wherein each IQOS plan facilitates a provision of a fixed level of inroute bandwidth to the respective subnetwork within the first VCN.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the operator classifications comprises predetermined levels of configuration control, operational/management control, monitoring capabilities, and troubleshooting/maintenance capabilities allocated to the one or more virtual network operators assigned to that classification.

8. A network management system, comprising at least one network operations server including at least one network operations memory device having computer program code stored therein, and at least one network gateway server including at least one network gateway memory device having computer program code stored therein, of a host communications network (HCN); wherein the at least one network operations server together with the at least one network operations memory device and computer program code stored therein, and the at least one network gateway server together with the at least one network gateway memory device and the computer program code stored therein, cause the network management system to:

configure a plurality of network domains within the HCN, wherein each network domain provides a network configuration for a virtual communications network (VCN) provisioned within the HCN for an enterprise customer of the HCN, which provides a virtual communications subnetwork of the HCN from which the enterprise customer can provision communications services for a communications services business, and wherein the HCN provides bandwidth over outroute channels and inroute channels of the HCN for the VCNs;

configure a plurality of outroute capacity partitions via one or more of the outroute channels of the HCN, wherein each outroute capacity partition supports a respective level of outroute bandwidth; and

configure a plurality of inroute capacity partitions via one or more inroute groups of the HCN, wherein each inroute group includes one or more of the inroute channels of the HCN, and wherein each inroute capacity partition supports a respective level of inroute bandwidth; and

wherein one or more of the outroute capacity partitions and one or more of the inroute capacity partitions are allocated to a first VCN to provision a designated level of the outroute bandwidth and a designated level of the inroute bandwidth to the first VCN;

wherein one or more operator classifications are configured within the network domain associated with the first VCN, wherein each operator classification specifies a set of network operator capabilities and permissions allocated to one or more virtual network operators assigned to that classification;

wherein the designated level of outroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN via the allocated one or more outroute capacity partitions is provisioned as a level of bandwidth in megabits-per-second (Mbps), and the allocated one or more outroute capacity partitions supports a portion of overall outroute spectrum of the HCN, and

wherein the designated level of inroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN via the allocated one or more inroute capacity partitions is provisioned as a level of bandwidth in megabits-per-second (Mbps), and the allocated one or more inroute capacity partitions supports a portion of overall inroute spectrum of the HCN.

9. The network management system of claim 8 , wherein:

at least one of the at least one network gateway server is configured to provide the one or more outroute channels of the HCN, and the outroute capacity partitions configured via the one or more of the outroute channels are configured via at least one IP gateway (IPGW) instance of the at least one network gateway server; and

the one or more inroute groups of the HCN are provided via an inroute bandwidth manager of the at least one network gateway server, and the inroute capacity partitions configured via the one or more inroute groups are provisioned via at least one respective inroute quality of service (IQOS) plan.

10. The network management system of claim 9 , further comprising:

an inroute channel demodulator associated with the inroute bandwidth manager, wherein inroute transmissions of each of the IQOS plan(s) of the first VCN are received via a respective channel of the inroute channel demodulator.

11. The network management system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the outroute channels is dedicated to the first VCN to support the designated level of the outroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN, and at least one of the inroute groups is dedicated to the first VCN to support the designated level of the inroute bandwidth provisioned to the VCN.

12. The network management system of claim 11 , wherein:

the at least one outroute channel dedicated to the first VCN each provides a respective portion of the designated level of the outroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN; and

the at least one inroute group dedicated to the first VCN each provides a respective portion of the designated level of the inroute bandwidth provisioned to the first VCN.

13. The network management system of claim 12 , wherein:

at least one of the operator classifications comprises predetermined levels of configuration control, operational/management control, monitoring capabilities, and troubleshooting/maintenance capabilities allocated to the one or more virtual network operators (VNOs) assigned to that classification; and

the one operator classification enables an associated VNO (assigned to that classification) to configure one or more IP gateway (IPGW) instances within the outroute network element(s) dedicated to the first VCN, wherein each IPGW instance facilitates a provision of a fixed level of outroute bandwidth to a respective subnetwork within the first VCN, and enables the associated VNO to configure one or more inroute quality of service (IQOS) plans within the inroute group(s) dedicated to the first VCN, wherein each IQOS plan facilitates a provision of a fixed level of inroute bandwidth to the respective subnetwork within the first VCN.

14. The network management system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the operator classifications comprises predetermined levels of configuration control, operational/management control, monitoring capabilities, and troubleshooting/maintenance capabilities allocated to the one or more virtual network operators assigned to that classification.