Distributed customer premises equipment
Techniques are disclosed for providing a distributed customer premises equipment (CPE) comprising several devices. A computer system executes a control plane subsystem that sends network control packets using one or more network interfaces for controlling network data packet forwarding operations performed by devices. The network control packets includes a first set of network control packets sent to a first device located at a second location and a second set of network control packets sent to a second device located at a third location.
1. A method comprising:
executing, by a computer system comprising one or more processors and located at a first location, a control plane subsystem to cause sending a plurality of network control packets using one or more network interfaces for controlling network data packet forwarding operations performed by a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices including a first device at a second location and a second device at a third location,
wherein the plurality of network control packets comprises a first set of network control packets received at the first device, the first set of network control packets causing a first data plane subsystem executed by the first device to forward a first set of network data packets based upon at least one of the first set of network control packets, and
wherein the plurality of network control packets comprises a second set of network control packets received at the second device, the second set of network control packets causing a second data plane subsystem executed by the second device to forward a second set of network data packets based upon at least one of the second set of network control packets.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of devices are customer premises equipment devices.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device further instantiates a first virtual machine capable of executing a first network function comprising a virtual network function.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first virtual machine is instantiated based on receiving one of the network control packets from the control plane subsystem.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first network function is one or more of a network firewall, a network level 2 forwarding, a network level 3 forwarding, virtual private network, access control list, or a private branch exchange.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first network function is configured based on at least receiving at least one network control packet from the network control packets.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device:
receives one or more network control packets from the control plane subsystem;
instantiates a third virtual machine at the first device; and
instantiates a third network function executing inside the third virtual machine at the first device, based on receiving the one or more network control packets.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first location is a datacenter and the second location is a customer premises.
9. A system comprising:
a first device comprising a first processor configured to execute instructions to provide a control plane subsystem; and
a first data plane subsystem executed by a second device, the second device further configured to execute instructions on a second processor with virtualization technology support to provide a first virtual machine capable of executing a first network function,
wherein the control plane subsystem is configured to control forwarding functionality of the first data plane subsystem and a second data plane subsystem, wherein the second data plane subsystem is executed by a third device, the third device further configured to execute instructions on a third processor with the virtualization technology support to provide a second virtual machine that is capable of executing a second network function, and wherein the control plane subsystem is configured to control the first network function and the second network function.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first device and the second device are customer premises equipment devices.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first network function is a virtual network function.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first network function is one or more of a network firewall, a network level 2 forwarding, a network level 3 forwarding, virtual private network, access control, or a private branch exchange.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first device:
receives one or more network control packets from the control plane subsystem;
instantiates a third virtual machine at the first device, based on receiving the one or more network control packets; and
instantiates a third network function executing inside the third virtual machine at the first device, based on receiving the one or more network control packets.
14. A method for routing packets, the method comprising:
sending network control packets using one or more network interfaces for controlling operations on a plurality of devices;
receiving, at a first data plane subsystem, a first set of network control packets of the network control packets;
forwarding, on the first data plane subsystem, a first set of network data packets, wherein the forwarding is based at least on the network control packets;
instantiating a first virtual machine capable of executing a first network function;
receiving, at a second data plane subsystem, a second set of network control packets of the network control packets;
forwarding, on the second data plane subsystem, a second set of network data packets, wherein the forwarding is based on the second set of network control packets; and
instantiating a second virtual machine that is capable of executing a second network function.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first virtual machine is capable of executing a first network function comprising a virtual network function.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising configuring the first network function based on receiving at least one network control packet.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving one or more network control packets; and
instantiating a third virtual machine.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising instantiating a third network function executing inside the third virtual machine, based on receiving the one or more network control packets.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein first data plane subsystem executes on a first device that is located at a datacenter and second data plane subsystem executes on a second device that is a customer premises.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first network function is one or more of a network firewall, a network level 2 forwarding, a network level 3 forwarding, virtual private network, access control list, or a private branch exchange.