Patent · US Active

User-configured on-demand virtual layer-2 network for infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) on a hybrid cloud network

US9154327B1 · kind B1 · utility

237Cited by
27References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 27, 2011
Grant dateOct 6, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 24, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L69/321
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A virtual network is overlaid upon physical networks. The virtual network is a layer-2 network that appears to expand an organization's LAN using virtual MAC addresses. A VN device driver shim intercepts LAN packets and their virtual MAC and IP addresses and encapsulates them with physical packets that can be routed over the Internet. As new nodes are created, a VN switch table is expanded so that all nodes on the virtual network can reach the new node. A copy of the VN switch table is stored on each node by a virtual network management daemon on the node. A VN configuration controller in a central server updates the VN switch tables. Organizations can expand their virtual network as nodes are created at remote cloud computing providers without action by the staff at the cloud computing provider. Hybrid cloud virtual networks include on-premises physical and virtual-machine nodes, and off-premises guest nodes and instances.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.