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).

  • Patent number: 11765051
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Huawei Cloud Computing Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
  • Patent number: 11411863
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
  • Patent number: 11294740
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie
  • Publication number: 20220006708
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
  • Patent number: 11088926
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
  • Patent number: 10915382
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
  • Patent number: 10841366
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Farhad P. Sunavala, Henry Louis Fourie
  • Publication number: 20200236035
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
  • Publication number: 20200151032
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
  • Patent number: 10637773
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
  • Publication number: 20200012545
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie
  • Patent number: 10530697
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Louis Fourie, Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 10521280
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad Sunavala
  • Patent number: 10397108
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Fei Rao, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
  • Publication number: 20190205184
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad Sunavala
  • Publication number: 20190075154
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Henry Louis Fourie, Farhad P. Sunavala
  • Patent number: 10200293
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
  • Publication number: 20180302319
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie
  • Publication number: 20180270301
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Farhad P. Sunavala, Henry Louis Fourie
  • Patent number: 10003530
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Louis Fourie