Patents by Inventor Louis Fourie
Louis Fourie has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11765051Abstract: A system, computer-implemented method, and/or non-transitory computer-readable media may provide a warm start technique for cloud-hosted functions. Included is a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions, and one or more processors in communication with the memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to identify a cloud-hosted function configured to be executed within a cloud computing environment. The cloud-hosted function is instantiated within the cloud-hosted computing environment.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2021Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: Huawei Cloud Computing Technologies Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
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Patent number: 11411863Abstract: Metadata may be embedded in a service chain header (SCH) appended to a packet that is forwarded over a service chain path. The metadata may include information that is used to process the packet at a downstream service function chain (SFC) entity on the service chain path. The metadata TLV field may identify a service action to be performed by a downstream SFC entity. For example, the metadata TLV field may instruct the downstream SFC entity to drop the packet, to redirect the packet (or a traffic flow associated with the packet), to mirror a traffic flow, to terminate a communication connection, to start or stop a packet accounting, and/or to apply a higher grade of service. Alternatively, the metadata TLV field specifies an OAM service action list that identifies service actions that have been performed on the packet.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2020Date of Patent: August 9, 2022Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
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Patent number: 11294740Abstract: A network mapping events to workflow instances. One or more event messages are received with an embedded token from one or more event sources associated with an application. A workflow specification is received that specifies a location of the token embedded in the one or more event messages, and the token is extracted from the one or more event messages using the location of the token specified in the workflow specification. The events are then mapped to a workflow instance of the application based on the token the one or more event messages.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2019Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie
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Publication number: 20220006708Abstract: A system, computer-implemented method, and/or non-transitory computer-readable media may provide a warm start technique for cloud-hosted functions. Included is a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions, and one or more processors in communication with the memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to identify a cloud-hosted function configured to be executed within a cloud computing environment. The cloud-hosted function is instantiated within the cloud-hosted computing environment. The one or more processors additionally execute the instructions to determine a hold (preservation) time to maintain the instantiation of the cloud-hosted function within the cloud computing environment, based on a plurality of function execution metrics calculated for the cloud-hosted function. The one or more processors further execute the instructions to maintain the instantiation of the cloud-hosted function within the cloud computing environment for the determined hold time.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2021Publication date: January 6, 2022Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
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Patent number: 11088926Abstract: A system, computer-implemented method, and/or non-transitory computer-readable media may provide a warm start technique for cloud-hosted functions. A call is received from a web application. In response to the received call, a function graph is activated and includes a collection of functions associated with the web-application. The function graph also includes a plurality of states and transitions between the states. In response to the activation of the function graph, a cloud-hosted function associated with a particular state in the plurality of states included in the function graph is determined Before the particular state is triggered within the function graph to execute the cloud-hosted function, the determined cloud-hosted function is instantiated.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2018Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
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Patent number: 10915382Abstract: A computer-implemented method for processing serverless functions includes mapping a received event to an event state of a plurality of event states in a function graph according to a mapping rule, the function graph including one or more actions for the event state. A data package of a previous event state of the plurality of event states is filtered to generate a filtered data package, using a payload filter associated with the event state. The actions of the event state are executed, where the one or more actions satisfy the mapping rule. A modified data package is sent to a computer system to trigger executing one or more serverless functions associated with the executed one or more actions. The modified data package is based on a data package of the event and the filtered data package. One or more responses are received based on execution of the serverless functions.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2020Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
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Patent number: 10841366Abstract: An architecture, method, and/or non-transitory computer-readable media provide a service graph based serverless cloud architecture. The service graphs can orchestrate cloud-hosted functions into a coordinated micro-service application, and thus control the execution of the cloud-hosted functions in a prescribed manner. Additionally, service graphs permit a user to arrange cloud-hosted functions to execute in sequence or concurrently, manage error conditions by re-invoking function calls, handle scaling to accommodate varying event loads, and the like. Service graphs also allow a user to define rendezvous points (i.e., states) to wait for pre-defined events before executing a cloud-hosted function and progressing through the service graph. The advantages of coordinating the execution of cloud-hosted functions with service graphs is that the service graphs provide a consistent framework for managing cloud-hosted functions without the user having to solve the coordination problems on their own.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2018Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Farhad P. Sunavala, Henry Louis Fourie
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Publication number: 20200236035Abstract: Metadata may be embedded in a service chain header (SCH) appended to a packet that is forwarded over a service chain path. The metadata may include information that is used to process the packet at a downstream service function chain (SFC) entity on the service chain path. The metadata TLV field may identify a service action to be performed by a downstream SFC entity. For example, the metadata TLV field may instruct the downstream SFC entity to drop the packet, to redirect the packet (or a traffic flow associated with the packet), to mirror a traffic flow, to terminate a communication connection, to start or stop a packet accounting, and/or to apply a higher grade of service. Alternatively, the metadata TLV field specifies an OAM service action list that identifies service actions that have been performed on the packet.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2020Publication date: July 23, 2020Applicant: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
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Publication number: 20200151032Abstract: The disclosure relates to technology for coordinating execution of serverless functions. One or more events are received from one or more event sources. The one or more events are mapped to one or more event states of a function graph according to a mapping rule, the one or more event states including one or more actions, and the one or more actions which satisfied the mapping rule are executed. The received events are sent to a computer system to trigger the computer system initiating one or more computing resource groups for executing one or more serverless functions associated with the one or more actions. One or more responses are received from the serverless functions.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2020Publication date: May 14, 2020Applicant: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
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Patent number: 10637773Abstract: Metadata may be embedded in a service chain header (SCH) appended to a packet that is forwarded over a service chain path. The metadata may include information that is used to process the packet at a downstream service function chain (SFC) entity on the service chain path. The metadata TLV field may identify a service action to be performed by a downstream SFC entity. For example, the metadata TLV field may instruct the downstream SFC entity to drop the packet, to redirect the packet (or a traffic flow associated with the packet), to mirror a traffic flow, to terminate a communication connection, to start or stop a packet accounting, and/or to apply a higher grade of service. In another embodiment, the metadata TLV field specifies an OAM service action list that identifies service actions that have been performed on the packet.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2018Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
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Publication number: 20200012545Abstract: The disclosure relates to technology for mapping events to workflow instances. One or more event messages are received with an embedded token from one or more event sources associated with an application. A workflow specification is received that specifies a location of the token embedded in the one or more event messages, and the token is extracted from the one or more event messages using the location of the token specified in the workflow specification. The events are then mapped to a workflow instance of the application based on the token the one or more event messages.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2019Publication date: January 9, 2020Applicant: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie
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Patent number: 10530697Abstract: An embodiment device includes a network interface, a non-transitory computer readable medium having executable instructions thereon, and a processor coupled to the network interface and the computer readable medium. The executable instructions cause the processor to receive an Intent representing requirements for data traffic on a network having a plurality of endpoints, with the Intent specifying one or more traffic parameters identifying one or more of the endpoints, and and at least one first service. The executable instructions also include instructions to generate one or more networking commands identifying the at least one first service according to the traffic parameters, send the networking commands to one or more network devices on the network and cause the network devices to perform the at least one first service on a first data transmission in response to parameters of the data transmission satisfying the one or more networking commands.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2016Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Henry Louis Fourie, Hong Zhang
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Patent number: 10521280Abstract: The disclosure relates to technology for coordinating execution of serverless functions. One or more events are received from one or more external sources. The one or more events are mapped to one or more event states of a processing graph according to mapping rules, the one or more event states including one or more actions, and the one or more actions are executed in response to the one or more events satisfying conditions of the mapping rules. An event response is the received in reply to the received one or more events, where the event response is based on execution of one or more tasks corresponding to a sequence of the executed one or more actions.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad Sunavala
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Patent number: 10397108Abstract: A method for service function chaining across subnetworks includes receiving a packet at a virtual switch integration bridge from a first service function (SF) that is in a service function chain (SFC) and that is on a first subnetwork, determining a next SF in the SFC in a different subnetwork, and sending the received packet directly from the virtual switch integration bridge to the next SF.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2017Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Fei Rao, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
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Publication number: 20190205184Abstract: The disclosure relates to technology for coordinating execution of serverless functions. One or more events are received from one or more external sources. The one or more events are mapped to one or more event states of a processing graph according to mapping rules, the one or more event states including one or more actions, and the one or more actions are executed in response to the one or more events satisfying conditions of the mapping rules. An event response is the received in reply to the received one or more events, where the event response is based on execution of one or more tasks corresponding to a sequence of the executed one or more actions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2017Publication date: July 4, 2019Applicant: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad Sunavala
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Publication number: 20190075154Abstract: A system, computer-implemented method, and/or non-transitory computer-readable media may provide a warm start technique for cloud-hosted functions. This warm start technique may reduce latency associated with a time to execution of a cloud-hosted function, such as by determining a cloud-hosted function associated with an activated function graph and instantiating the cloud-hosted function ahead of its execution in association with the activated function graph (e.g. in anticipation of a later requested execution of the cloud-hosted function), and/or maintaining an already instantiated cloud-hosted function for a hold time that is dynamically determined for the cloud-hosted function (in anticipation of a later requested execution of the cloud-hosted function being made during that hold time).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2018Publication date: March 7, 2019Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
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Patent number: 10200293Abstract: Dynamically by-passing a service function instance on a service chain after the service function instance has processed the first few packets of a traffic flow may improve the overall processing efficiency of the service chain. When using a control plane mechanism, a service function instance communicates a by-pass indication to a control plane entity to prompt the control plane entity to re-route remaining portions of the traffic flow around the service function instance. When using a data plane mechanism, a service function instance includes a by-pass indication in a service chain header (SCH) of a packet in a traffic flow, and forwards the packet to a data plane entity. The by-pass indication will prompt the data plane entity to re-route remaining portions of the traffic flow around the service function instance.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2015Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
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Publication number: 20180302319Abstract: Metadata may be embedded in a service chain header (SCH) appended to a packet that is forwarded over a service chain path. The metadata may include information that is used to process the packet at a downstream service function chain (SFC) entity on the service chain path. The metadata TLV field may identify a service action to be performed by a downstream SFC entity. For example, the metadata TLV field may instruct the downstream SFC entity to drop the packet, to redirect the packet (or a traffic flow associated with the packet), to mirror a traffic flow, to terminate a communication connection, to start or stop a packet accounting, and/or to apply a higher grade of service. In another embodiment, the metadata TLV field specifies an OAM service action list that identifies service actions that have been performed on the packet.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
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Publication number: 20180270301Abstract: An architecture, method, and/or non-transitory computer-readable media provide a service graph based serverless cloud architecture. The service graphs can orchestrate cloud-hosted functions into a coordinated micro-service application, and thus control the execution of the cloud-hosted functions in a prescribed manner. Additionally, service graphs permit a user to arrange cloud-hosted functions to execute in sequence or concurrently, manage error conditions by re-invoking function calls, handle scaling to accommodate varying event loads, and the like. Service graphs also allow a user to define rendezvous points (i.e., states) to wait for pre-defined events before executing a cloud-hosted function and progressing through the service graph. The advantages of coordinating the execution of cloud-hosted functions with service graphs is that the service graphs provide a consistent framework for managing cloud-hosted functions without the user having to solve the coordination problems on their own.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2018Publication date: September 20, 2018Inventors: Hong Zhang, Farhad P. Sunavala, Henry Louis Fourie
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Patent number: 10003530Abstract: Metadata may be embedded in a service chain header (SCH) appended to a packet that is forwarded over a service chain path. The metadata may include information that is used to process the packet at a downstream service function chain (SFC) entity on the service chain path. The metadata TLV field may identify a service action to be performed by a downstream SFC entity. For example, the metadata TLV field may instruct the downstream SFC entity to drop the packet, to redirect the packet (or a traffic flow associated with the packet), to mirror a traffic flow, to terminate a communication connection, to start or stop a packet accounting, and/or to apply a higher grade of service. In another embodiment, the metadata TLV field specifies an OAM service action list that identifies service actions that have been performed on the packet.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2015Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie