Virtual network controller
View Patent ↗A controller receives a request for the provision of a slice of a network to a virtual network operator. The controller determines whether the slice can be provided from existing resources, whether the slice can be provided if the existing resources are re-configured, or whether the slice can only be provided if additional resources are obtained. The controller then automatically takes the action required in order to provide the requested slice. The controller can also be used to release resources that are no longer required. Additionally, the controller can be used to re-optimize the network on request.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a first interface with one or more entities;
a second interface with a plurality of infrastructure providers; and
a computation processor configured to allocate network resources available from the plurality of infrastructure providers to at least one of said one or more entities,
wherein on receipt of a request for the provision of network resources, the computation processor is configured to determine whether or not the requested network resources can be provided on the basis of an existing network configuration and, if so, to instruct a configuration processor to provide the requested network resources,
wherein the configuration processor is configured to receive a request to release at least some of the network resources provided to at least one of said one or more entities, and the configuration processor is configured to receive instructions instructing the configuration processor to release those resources,
wherein the instructions for the configuration processor to release the resources are derived from at least a customer interface and a database,
wherein the computation processor is configured to combine the network resources available from each of the plurality of infrastructure providers into a single combined set of network resources,
wherein the computation processor is configured to split the combined set of network resources into different slices, wherein one of the network resources is split between a plurality of the one or more entities, and
wherein the configuration processor is configured to release the different slices to the one or more entities.
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the event that the requested network resources cannot be provided on the basis of the existing network configuration, the computation processor is configured to determine whether or not the requested network resources could be provided on the basis of existing network resources if the said network configuration were re-configured and, if so, the computation processor is configured to calculate a re-configuration of the network, instruct the configuration processor to implement the reconfiguration of the network and instruct the configuration processor to provide the requested network resources.
3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the event that the requested resources cannot be provided on the basis of the existing network resources, the computation processor is configured to determine extra resources required from at least one of said one or more infrastructure providers in order to provide the requested resources, to request the provision of those extra resources by at least one of the one or more infrastructure providers and to instruct the configuration processor to provide the requested network resources.
4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein determining extra resources required in order to provide the requested network resources includes determining whether the network resources need to be reallocated and, if so, instructing the reallocation of said network resources prior to instructing the provision of said requested network resources.
5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a customer interface, wherein the request for the provision of network resources is received at said customer interface.
6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein determining whether or not the requested network resources can be provided on the basis of an existing network configuration includes checking details of the existing network configuration as stored in said database.
7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said computation processor is configured to reconfigure the network configuration following the release of the said network resources.
8. A method comprising:
receiving a request for the provision of network resources obtained from a plurality of infrastructure providers to one or more entities;
determining whether or not the requested network resources can be provided on the basis of an existing network configuration;
if the network resources can be provided on the basis of the existing network configuration, instructing a configuration processor to provide the requested resources,
wherein the configuration processor is configured to receive a request to release at least some of the network resources provided to at least one of said one or more entities, and the configuration processor is configured to receive instructions instructing the configuration processor to release those resources,
wherein the instructions for the configuration processor to release the resources are derived from at least a customer interface and a database;
combining the network resources obtained from each of the plurality of infrastructure providers into a single combined set of network resources,
splitting the combined set of network resources into different slices, wherein one of the network resources is split between a plurality of the one or more entities; and
releasing the different slices to the one or more entities.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, in the event that the requested network resources cannot be provided on the basis of the existing network configuration, whether or not the requested network resources could be provided on the basis of existing network configuration if the resources of the network configuration were re-configured; and
if the network resources can be so provided, calculating a reconfigured network, instructing the configuration processor to implement the reconfigured network and instructing the configuration processor to provide the requested resources.
10. A method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, in the event that the requested network resources cannot be provided on the basis of the existing network resources, extra resources required in order to provide the requested network resources;
requesting the provision of said extra resources from at least one of said one or more infrastructure providers; and
instructing the configuration processor to provide the requested network resources.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising re-configuring the network prior to the provision of the request network resources.
12. A method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising receiving a request to release at least some of the network resources provided to one or more entities and instructing the configuration processor to release those resources.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising re-configuring the network resources following the release of the said network resources.
14. A method comprising:
receiving a request for a provision of network resources obtained from a plurality of infrastructure providers to one or more entities;
instructing a configuration processor to release said network resources; and
re-configuring the network resources being provided to the one or more entities following the release of the said network resources,
wherein the configuration processor is configured to receive a request to release at least some of the network resources provided to at least one of said one or more entities, and the configuration processor is configured to receive instructions instructing the configuration processor to release those resources,
wherein the instructions for the configuration processor to release the resources are derived from at least a customer interface and a database,
wherein the network resources are provided on the basis of an existing network configuration,
wherein the network resources from each of the plurality of infrastructure providers are combined into a single combined set of network resources, wherein one of the network resources is split between a plurality of the one or more entities,
wherein the combined set of network resources are split into different slices, and
wherein the configuration processor is configured to release the different slices to the one or more entities.
15. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process, the process comprising:
receiving a request for a provision of network resources obtained from a plurality of infrastructure providers to one or more entities;
determining whether or not the requested network resources can be provided on the basis of an existing network configuration; and
instructing a configuration processor to provide the requested resources, in the event that the network resources can be provided on the basis of the existing network configuration,
wherein the configuration processor is configured to receive a request to release at least some of the network resources provided to at least one of said one or more entities, and the configuration processor is configured to receive instructions instructing the configuration processor to release those resources,
wherein the instructions for the configuration processor to release the resources are derived from at least a customer interface and a database,
wherein the network resources from each of the plurality of infrastructure providers are combined into a single set of network resources,
wherein the process further comprises splitting the combined set of network resources into different slices, wherein one of the network resources is split between a plurality of the one or more entities, and
wherein the configuration processor is configured to release the different slices to the one or more entities.