Patents Assigned to Level 3 Communications, LLC
  • Patent number: 11627158
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems and methods for utilizing verified autonomous system (AS) network interconnections received via a cryptographically certified Recognized Operating Agency (ROA) object to generate an interconnect network model which may be used as a reference model to mitigate hijacking of network communications in downstream route announcements. In particular, AS networks may announce or share a cryptographically certified ROA object that includes a list of other AS networks to which the announcing network is connected. A router, server, or other networking device may receive ROA objects from multiple AS networks and generate a model or graph of the interconnectedness of the AS networks. Further, because each ROA object may be cryptographically certified or signed, the networking device may trust the information provided in the received ROA objects. The networking device may further verify announced routing information against the generated network model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11627108
    Abstract: A content delivery method including the operations of receiving a uniform resource locator resolution request at an authoritative name server for a domain where the uniform resource resolution request is received based, at least in part, on a host name of the uniform resource resolution request where the host name is uniquely related to a resource associated with the uniform resource resolution request. The method further including the operation of tracking a popularity of the resource based on the host name uniquely related to the resource and providing a location within a network capable of delivering the resource where the provided location is based on the popularity of the resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Newton
  • Publication number: 20230106413
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for distributing a domain name service (DNS) response cache in a DNS resolving system on a network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Feldpusch, Dan Luther
  • Publication number: 20230108022
    Abstract: A data system is provided for analyzing and maintaining data obtained from one or more data sources on which the data system depends. The system includes a primary database including current values used by the system and a collection of executable algorithms used to generate the data maintained in the primary database. In response to receiving a notification regarding a change in one of the data sources, a dependency database is used to establish an execution order for algorithms of the algorithm collection that are directly or indirectly dependent on the changed data. The algorithms identified in the execution order are then executed in accordance with the execution order and the corresponding result is stored in the primary database. The system may include data harvesters adapted to recognize changes in the data sources and to generate and transmit corresponding change notifications when such changes occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications LLC
    Inventors: William Gray, Binchao Chen, Steven D. Meyer
  • Patent number: 11621971
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer implemented method receives flow data for a network flows. The method extracts a tuple from the flow data and calculates long-term and short-term trends based at least in part on the tuple. The long-term and short-term trends are compared to determine whether a potential network anomaly exists. If a potential network anomaly does exist, the method initiates a heavy hitter detection algorithm. The method forms a low-complexity intermediate stage of processing that enables a high-complexity heavy hitter detection algorithm to execute when heavy hitters are likely to be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Sergey Yermakov
  • Patent number: 11621941
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing dynamic border gateway protocol (“BGP”) host route generation based on domain name system (“DNS”) resolution. In various embodiments, a computing system may receive, from a user device via a first network, a request to establish a communications link with an external device via a second network that is separate from the first network, based on a first uniform resource identifier (“URI”) indicative of a network location of the external device. The computing system may query a DNS resolver for an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address corresponding to a valid current IP address, based on the first URI, and may advertise the IP address and/or a route based on the IP address. A communications link may be established between the user device and the external device based on the IP address and/or the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Darrell Smith
  • Patent number: 11621909
    Abstract: A routing system can provide a Dynamic-Hybrid Forwarding Information Base (DHFIB). A control component of the routing system can build a routing table that includes routing information (e.g., prefixes, addresses, etc.) for use by a first routing component. The routing table can be ordered or ranked based on traffic information from the first routing component. Then, the control component can create the DHFIB from the routing table, wherein the DHFIB is a portion of the routing table and related to the first routing component. As such, the portion of the routing table selected for the DHFIB can be the set of prefixes in the routing table that represent the most frequently routed or most important prefixes in the routing table. Finally, the control component can forward the DHFIB to the first routing component to allow the routing component to route communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Stewart Bamford, Brent Wharton Smith, Noah Kipling Weis
  • Publication number: 20230096135
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing intent-based orchestration using network parsimony trees. In various embodiments, in response to receiving a request for network services that comprises desired characteristics and performance parameters for the requested network services without information regarding specific hardware, hardware type, location, or network, a computing system might generate a request-based parsimony tree based on the desired characteristics and performance parameters. The computing system might access, from a datastore, a plurality of network-based parsimony trees that are each generated based on measured network metrics, might compare the request-based parsimony tree with each of one or more network-based parsimony trees to determine a fitness score for each network-based parsimony tree, and might identify a best-fit network-based parsimony tree based on the fitness scores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin M. McBride, Brett E. Dwyer, James E. Sutherland, Jamie Lin, Brent Smith, Glenn B. Balanoff, Frank Moss, Bryan Dreyer
  • Patent number: 11616687
    Abstract: A dynamic controller to automatically generate layer 3 network connections between devices and/or networks associated with a virtual computing environment in response to a request for such connections is provided such that communications associated with the computing environment may be transmitted between the endpoints. For example, the dynamic controller may connect one or more cloud service provider networks, one or more customer-controlled data centers, one or more customer networks, and the like, based on information provided in a connection request. A layer 3 communication controller may also be instantiated within a core network that manages the flow of communications between the connected networks, such as by translating messages between the connected networks so that messages intended for a connected network may match the supported communication protocols of that network and/or providing one or more security features to the transmitted communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Austin D. Ritchie
  • Patent number: 11616858
    Abstract: Aspects of present disclosure include devices within a transmission path of streamed content forwarding received data packets of the stream to the next device or “hop” in the path prior to buffering the data packet at the device. In this method, typical buffering of the data stream may therefore occur at the destination device for presentation at a consuming device, while the devices along the transmission path may transmit a received packet before buffering. Further, devices along the path may also buffer the content stream after forwarding to fill subsequent requests for dropped data packets of the content stream. Also, in response to receiving the request for the content stream, a device may first transmit a portion of the contents of the gateway buffer to the requesting device to fill a respective buffer at the receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Brown, Veronica Kravchenko
  • Patent number: 11616835
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for providing an API description of an external network service and using the API to integrate the external service into a network. An embodiment operates by receiving, from a service provider, a description of an application programming interface (API), transmitting a call to the service provider using the API for creating a new instance of a service and transmitting to the service provider a traffic flow upon which the service will be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: William Sella
  • Publication number: 20230084405
    Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for a configurable optical peering fabric to dynamically create a connection between participant sites without any physical site limitations or necessity of specialized client and network provider equipment being located within such a facility. Client sites to a network may connect to a configurable switching element to be interconnected to other client sites in response to a request to connect the first client site with a second site, also connected to network, via the switching element. A request may trigger verification of the requested and, upon validation, transmission of an instruction to the switching element to enable the cross connect within the switching element. The first site and the second site may thus be interconnected via the switching element in response to the request, without the need to co-locate equipment or to manually install a jumper between client equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Laurel Clark, Clyde David Cooper, III, Andrew Dugan
  • Patent number: 11606331
    Abstract: Improved methods for retrieval of content from CDNs is provided that includes a rendezvous controller that receives information of an identification of content being requested and an estimated location of a content requesting device. Based on this information, the rendezvous system identifies a server within a CDN from which the requested content may be retrieved. The selected server may be based on a repeatable hash function such that the likelihood that the content being requested is cached at the selected server. Steering requests to a server of the CDN which may have the content cached may reduce the number of servers within the CDN with the same cached content, particularly for the highest requested content. The rendezvous system may then return a corresponding domain name associated with the selected server and that can be subsequently submitted to a DNS for resolution to the IP address of the identified server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin C. Johns
  • Patent number: 11606381
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer implemented method receives flow data for one or more flows that correspond to a device-circuit pair. The method calculates a time difference for each flow that corresponds to a device-circuit pair. Based on the calculated time differences and the received flow data, the method updates a probability distribution model associated with the device-circuit pair. Then, the method determines whether a time bucket is complete or open based on the updated probability distribution model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Sergey Yermakov
  • Publication number: 20230075296
    Abstract: Authorization for a user may be dynamically tailored per application or per application function, rather than globally managed by an administrator. For example, in some embodiments, an identity access management system may generate a suitable authorization token (or authorization token information) to enable a user to login to an application or perform a particular function. The authorization token may be dynamically generated and tailored based on filtering various identity information otherwise available from an identity system, access boundaries of applicable application functions, or other factors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Sylvan H. MORLEY, III, Jamie LIN, Michael BENJAMIN, John KNIES
  • Publication number: 20230069845
    Abstract: The present application describes systems and methods for populating a DNS cache of a recursive DNS server using information gathered by a threat intelligence system. The threat intelligence system may collect some or all DNS responses from one or more recursive DNS servers as the one or more DNS servers process various received requests. Since the threat intelligence engine has access to this DNS data, the DNS data may be used to seed a DNS cache of a recursive DNS server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: John R.B. Woodworth, Dean Ballew, Dan LUTHER, Mark DEHUS
  • Publication number: 20230073237
    Abstract: A method for registering a handler in a configured sequence of handlers includes: receiving, by a processor and memory implementing a sequencer infrastructure, a configuration script defining a sequence including one or more handler identifiers and corresponding one or more handler arguments; invoking a handler initialization entry point for a handler corresponding to a handler identifier, the invoking the handler initialization entry point including: selecting, based on the corresponding one or more handler arguments, a handler type from among two or more of: a configured instance of the handler; a configured alternate handler different from the handler; an alternate sequence of handlers; an expression; and a no-op handler; and initializing a configured handler based on the handler type selected and the corresponding one or more handler arguments; and adding the configured handler to a configured sequence of handlers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventor: William CROWDER
  • Patent number: 11601372
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include a content delivery network (CDN) for delivering content associated with a plurality of different types of applications/devices. Using a CDN flow application, a plurality of network flow parameters are generated for content delivery unique to different types of applications or devices. The network flow parameters include customized data transmission rates. The network flow parameters include predetermined settings for transmission control protocol (TCP) connections between the CDN and devices using a TCP flow control mechanism. Upon receiving a content request, the CDN fulfills the content request based upon first network flow parameters. The network flow parameters may be adjusted for each of the plurality of different types of applications/devices. The network flow parameters may be generated based upon requests or based upon the performance of each of the plurality of applications/devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph C. Lawrence, William R. Power
  • Patent number: 11601513
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve a CDN utilizing a Direct Server Return (DSR) request command to create a tunnel from one content server to another content server of the CDN. Through the DSR tunnel, a request for content may be served from a content server that is more advantageous for the CDN for any number of reasons, such as from a content server that is logically closer to the content server. In determining when a DSR tunnel is created to provide the content, the CDN may access a database storing various information concerning the CDN, such as the location of egress gateways of the CDN in relation to one or more content servers, connecting network location information, the capabilities of one or more content servers, and/or load information of available content servers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Joelle T. Maslak, Joseph C. Lawrence
  • Patent number: 11601345
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems and methods for a service activation system in a telecommunications network that utilizes one or more generic container files for building the configuration file to instantiate the service on the network. A request for service from a network may be received from an order entry system that includes specific information about the requested service. A collection of generic configuration files may be selected based on the information included in the service order and arranged to build a configuration file to be executed on the network. The service activation system may also include a component or group of components to verify a received service order and alter the service order with default information or data where applicable. The configuration file may also be executed on the network through one or more drivers communicating with the affected devices to configure the one or more network devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: James C. Dwyer, Michael L. Nyhus