Network functions support for serverless and granular computing environments
US11190458B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 15, 2017 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 21, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/5077
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The disclosure provides an approach for enabling network functions to be executed in serverless computing environments. One embodiment employs a per-packet architecture, in which the trigger for launching a serverless computing instance is receipt of a packet. In such a case, each received packet is packaged into a request to invoke network function(s) required to process the packet, and a serverless computing environment in turn executes the requested network function(s) as serverless computing instance(s) that process the packet and return a response. Another embodiment employs a per-flow architecture in which the trigger for launching a serverless computing instance is receipt of a packet belonging to a new traffic flow. In such a case, a coordinator identifies (or receives notification of) a received packet that belongs to a new sub-flow and launches a serverless computing instance to process packets of the sub-flow that are redirected to the serverless computing instance.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.