System and method for creating virtual interfaces based on network characteristics

• US 10,069,933 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Solis, Ignacio, Scott, Glenn C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Chen-Liang
• Application Number:
  US14/522,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A network-configuring system creates stable virtual interfaces for groups of neighboring network nodes. During operation, the system can obtain network-neighborhood information from one or more network neighbors. This network-neighborhood information includes duplex-neighborhood information that indicates at least a set of neighboring devices to the network neighbor, and a set of remote network nodes which are accessible via a respective neighbor. The system can use the network-neighborhood information to determine one or more groups of network neighbors with common network characteristics, such that a respective group includes one or more mutually-connected network peers. The system can then define a virtual interface for a respective group of stable network neighbors, such that the virtual interface'"'"'s member nodes include the local network node and the respective group'"'"'s mutually-connected network peers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining, by a local network node, network-neighborhood information from one or more network neighbors, wherein the network-neighborhood information includes duplex-neighborhood information that indicates at least a set of neighboring devices to the network neighbor, and a set of remote network nodes accessible via a respective neighbor;

determining, based on the network-neighborhood information, one or more groups of network neighbors with common network characteristics, wherein a respective group includes one or more mutually-connected network peers; and

defining, by the local network node based on the determining, a virtual interface for a respective group of stable network neighbors, wherein the virtual interface'"'"'s member nodes include the local network node and the respective group'"'"'s mutually-connected network peers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein member network nodes of a respective virtual interface include multiple network neighbors which communicate with the local network node via a common physical or virtual interface of the local network node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the multiple network neighbors include a stable set of network neighbors that communicate with the local network node via a persistent network connection over the common physical or virtual interface of the local network node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-neighborhood information for a respective network node can include at least one of:

connectivity information for the respective network node;

whether the respective network node is a gateway to a remote network;

a pre-exiting configuration for the respective network node;

routing information;

link characteristics;

a pre-existing link characteristic;

historical connectivity information;

or

predicted connectivity information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein member network nodes of a respective virtual interface include a network neighbor which communicates with the local network node via physical interface or virtual interface for a personal area network (PAN).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the physical or virtual interface for the PAN includes at least one of:

a Bluetooth interface;

a wireless optical communication interface;

a line-of-sight communication interface;

a wireless universal serial bus (USB) interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring network packets transmitted by one or more neighboring network nodes;

determining that a network neighbor has left a network neighborhood of the local network node;

determining a virtual interface associated with the determined network neighbor; and

removing the determined network neighbor from the determined virtual interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring network packets transmitted by one or more neighboring network nodes;

determining that a network neighbor has entered a network neighborhood of the local network node; and

creating a new virtual interface for the determined network neighbor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving updated network-neighborhood information from one or more network neighbors;

determining, from the updated network-neighborhood information, that a network neighbor'"'"'s network characteristics has changed; and

responsive to determining that the determined network neighbor'"'"'s network characteristics are not compatible with that of a virtual interface to which the determined network neighbor belongs;

removing the network neighbor from the virtual interface; and

creating a new virtual interface for the determined network neighbor.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

obtaining network-neighborhood information from one or more network neighbors, wherein the network-neighborhood information includes duplex-neighborhood information that indicates at least a set of neighboring devices to the network neighbor, and a set of remote network nodes accessible via a respective neighbor;

determining, based on the network-neighborhood information, one or more groups of network neighbors with common network characteristics, wherein a respective group includes one or more mutually-connected network peers; and

defining a virtual interface, based on the determining, for a respective group of stable network neighbors, wherein the virtual interface'"'"'s member nodes include a local network node and the respective group'"'"'s mutually-connected network peers.

11. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein member network nodes of a respective virtual interface include multiple network neighbors which communicate with the local network node via a common physical or virtual interface of the local network node.

12. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the multiple network neighbors include a stable set of network neighbors that communicate with the local network node via a persistent network connection over the common physical or virtual interface of the local network node.

13. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the network-neighborhood information for a respective network node can include at least one of:

connectivity information for the respective network node;

whether the respective network node is a gateway to a remote network;

a pre-exiting configuration for the respective network node;

routing information;

link characteristics;

a pre-existing link characteristic;

historical connectivity information;

or

predicted connectivity information.

14. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein member network nodes of a respective virtual interface include a network neighbor which communicates with the local network node via physical interface or virtual interface for a personal area network (PAN).

15. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring network packets transmitted by one or more neighboring network nodes;

determining that a network neighbor has left a network neighborhood of the local network node;

determining a virtual interface associated with the determined network neighbor; and

removing the determined network neighbor from the determined virtual interface.

16. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring network packets transmitted by one or more neighboring network nodes;

determining that a network neighbor has entered a network neighborhood of the local network node; and

creating a new virtual interface for the determined network neighbor.

17. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving updated network-neighborhood information from one or more network neighbors;

determining, from the updated network-neighborhood information, that a network neighbor'"'"'s network characteristics has changed; and

responsive to determining that the determined network neighbor'"'"'s network characteristics are not compatible with that of a virtual interface to which the determined network neighbor belongs;

removing the network neighbor from the virtual interface; and

creating a new virtual interface for the determined network neighbor.

18. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more processors storing instructions stored that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising;

obtaining network-neighborhood information from one or more network neighbors, wherein the network-neighborhood information includes duplex-neighborhood information that indicates at least a set of neighboring devices to the network neighbor, and a set of remote network nodes accessible via a respective neighbor;

determining, based on the network-neighborhood information, one or more groups of network neighbors with common network characteristics, wherein a respective group includes one or more mutually-connected network peers; and

defining a virtual interface, based on the determining, for a respective group of stable network neighbors, wherein the virtual interface'"'"'s member nodes include a local network node and the respective group'"'"'s mutually-connected network peers.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein member network nodes of a respective virtual interface include multiple network neighbors which communicate with the local network node via a common physical or virtual interface of the local network node.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the multiple network neighbors include a stable set of network neighbors that communicate with the local network node via a persistent network connection over the common physical or virtual interface of the local network node.

21. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the network-neighborhood information for a respective network node can include at least one of:

connectivity information for the respective network node;

whether the respective network node is a gateway to a remote network;

a pre-exiting configuration for the respective network node;

routing information;

link characteristics;

a pre-existing link characteristic;

historical connectivity information;

or

predicted connectivity information.

22. The computer system of claim 18, wherein member network nodes of a respective virtual interface include a network neighbor which communicates with the local network node via physical interface or virtual interface for a personal area network (PAN).

23. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring network packets transmitted by one or more neighboring network nodes;

determining that a network neighbor has left a network neighborhood of the local network node;

determining a virtual interface associated with the determined network neighbor; and

removing the determined network neighbor from the determined virtual interface.

24. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring network packets transmitted by one or more neighboring network nodes;

determining that a network neighbor has entered a network neighborhood of the local network node; and

creating a new virtual interface for the determined network neighbor.

25. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving updated network-neighborhood information from one or more network neighbors;

determining, from the updated network-neighborhood information, that a network neighbor'"'"'s network characteristics has changed; and

responsive to determining that the determined network neighbor'"'"'s network characteristics are not compatible with that of a virtual interface to which the determined network neighbor belongs;

removing the network neighbor from the virtual interface; and

creating a new virtual interface for the determined network neighbor.