Juniper Networks, Inc.

Kenneth E Gray

Nitin Bahadur

Thomas David Nadeau

Alia Karin Atlas

An extensible software defined network (SDN) controller is described that provides an application-aware framework that enable a variety of different user applications to communicate with the controller and that allows the controller to automatically configure devices in a network based on the needs of the applications. For example, the controller includes a plurality of different northbound interfaces that enable a variety of different user applications to communicate with the controller. The controller also includes multiple southbound protocols for configuring and enabling functionality in network devices based on the communications with the user applications.

Software defined network controller

A network device is described that receives information from separate database systems including a physical network inventory system that stores first topology data specifying resources and links within a network and a traffic engineering system that stores second topology data specifying the resources and links that are deployed within the network and data specifying traffic engineered paths configured to forward network traffic through the network. The network device aggregates the received information into a topology resource management system that stores third topology data specifying at least a current role of each of the resources and links. The network device determines a modification to at least one of the traffic engineered paths based on the third topology data, including an adjustment to the current role of at least one of the resources to change the forwarding of the network traffic. The network device outputs provisioning information based on the modification.

Aggregating network resource allocation information and network resource configuration information

In general, techniques are described for improving network path computation for requested paths that include a chain of service points that provide network services to traffic flows traversing the requested path through a network along the service chain. In some examples, a controller network device receives a request for network connectivity between a service entry point and a service exit point for a service chain for application to packet flows associated to the service chain. The device, for each pair of the service points in the particular order and using the active topology information, computes at least one end-to-end sub-path through the sub-network connecting the pair of the service points according to a constraint and computes, using the at least one end-to-end sub-path for each pair of the service points, a service path between the service entry point and the service exit point for the service chain.

Dynamic end-to-end network path setup across multiple network layers with network service chaining

A centralized controller provides dynamic end-to-end network path setup across multiple network layers. In particular, the centralized controller manages end-to-end network path setup that provisions a path at both the transport network layer (e.g., optical) and the service network layer (e.g., IP/MPLS). The centralized controller performs path computation for an optical path at the transport network layer and for a path at the service network layer that transports network traffic on the underlying optical transport path, based on information obtained by the centralized controller from the underlying network components at both layers.

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Myersville, MD, United States of America

Kenneth E Gray