Virtualization device

1. A method for composing a virtual network for implementation using physical network infrastructure, the method comprising:

identifying functionality and constraints of one or more nodes of the physical network infrastructure;

identifying constraints of one or more links of the physical network infrastructure;

generating a model of the physical network infrastructure, based on the identified functionality and constraints of the nodes and on the identified constraints of the links;

receiving a request for composition of a desired virtual network and mapping the desired virtual network onto the physical network infrastructure based on the generated model; and

performing a mapping process to simultaneously:

map a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto one or more physical nodes or part of a physical node of the physical network infrastructure; and

map a virtual link associated with the virtual node onto one or more physical links or part of a physical link of the physical network infrastructure.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein performing the mapping process comprises performing a slicing process, wherein the slicing process is operative to map a virtual node or a virtual link of the desired virtual network onto a whole or part of a whole physical node or a whole or part of a whole physical link of the physical network infrastructure.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein, if the slicing process is only partially successful, the method comprises performing a combination of a the slicing process and an aggregation process, wherein the slicing process is operative to map a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto a whole or part of a whole physical node of the physical network infrastructure or to map a virtual link of the desired virtual network onto a whole or part of a whole physical link of the physical network infrastructure, and wherein the aggregation process is operative to map a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto multiple physical nodes of the physical network infrastructure, or to map a virtual link of the desired virtual network onto multiple physical links of the physical network infrastructure.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein, if the slicing process is unsuccessful, the method comprises performing an aggregation process, wherein the aggregation process is operative to map a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto multiple physical nodes of the physical network infrastructure, and to map a virtual link of the desired virtual network onto multiple physical links of the physical network infrastructure.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein, if the slicing process and the aggregation process are unsuccessful, the method comprises undoing all completed mappings for the virtual network, selecting a different virtual node of the virtual network infrastructure as a starting point and performing the mapping process again.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises performing a quality of transport checking process once all of the virtual nodes and links of the desired virtual network have been successfully mapped.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein, if the quality of transport checking process is unsuccessful, the method comprises un-mapping nodes and links of the desired virtual network that failed the quality of transport checking process and attempting to map the failed nodes and links of the desired virtual network to different physical network resources.

8. A virtualization device for composing a virtual network for implementation using physical network infrastructure, the virtualization device comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions which, when executed by tlte processor, cause the processor to:

identify functionality and constraints of one or more nodes of the physical network infrastructure;

identify constraints of one or more links of the physical network infrastructure;

generate a model of the physical network infrastructure, based on the identified functionality and constraints of the nodes and on the identified constraints of the links;

receive a request for composition of a desired virtual network and mapping the desired virtual network onto the physical network infrastructure based on the generated model; and

perform a mapping process to simultaneously:

map a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto one or more physical nodes or part of a physical node of the physical network infrastructure; and

map a virtual link associated with the virtual node onto one or more physical links or part of a physical link of the physical network infrastructure.

9. The virtualization device of claim 8 , wherein performing the mapping process comprises performing a slicing process, wherein the slicing process is operative to map a virtual node or a virtual link of the desired virtual network onto a whole or part of a whole physical node or a whole or part of a whole physical link of the physical network infrastructure.

10. The virtualization device of claim 9 , wherein, if the slicing process is only partially successful, the instructions further cause the processor to perform a combination of a slicing process and an aggregation process, wherein the slicing process is operative to map a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto a whole or part of a whole physical node of the physical network infrastructure or to map a virtual link of the desired virtual network onto a whole or part of a whole physical link of the physical network infrastructure, and wherein the aggregation process is operative to map a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto multiple physical nodes of the physical network infrastructure, or to map a virtual link of the desired virtual network onto multiple physical links of the physical network infrastructure.

11. The virtualization device of claim 9 , wherein, if the slicing process is unsuccessful, the instructions further cause the processor to perform an aggregation process, wherein the aggregation process is operative to:

map a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto multiple physical nodes of the physical network infrastructure; and

map a virtual link of the desired virtual network onto multiple physical links of the physical network infrastructure.

12. The virtualization device of claim 11 , wherein, if the slicing process and the aggregation process are unsuccessful, the instructions further cause the processor to:

undo all completed mappings for the virtual network;

select a different virtual node of the virtual network infrastructure as a starting point; and

perform the mapping process again.

13. The virtualization device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform a quality of transport checking process once all of the virtual nodes and links of the desired virtual network have been successfully mapped.

14. The virtualization device of claim 13 wherein, if the quality of transport checking process is unsuccessful, the instructions further cause the processor to:

un-map nodes and links of the desired virtual network that failed the quality of transport checking process; and

attempt to map the failed nodes and links of the desired virtual network to different physical network resources.

15. The virtualization device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform a check that a required quality of transmission is met by the virtual network that has been composed by the virtualization device.

16. The virtualization device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive and map virtual network control and monitoring messages received from the physical network infrastructure onto a software defined networking (SDN) protocol; and

map SDN protocol messages onto virtual network control and monitoring, messages of the physical network infrastructure.

17. The virtualization device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive control and monitoring messages from an external controller; and

transmit the control and monitoring messages from the external controller to the physical network infrastructure.

18. The virtualization device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to modify an existing virtual network by decommissioning part or parts of the existing virtual network that require modification and re-mapping the modified part or parts with new attributes.