Methods and systems for controller-based data forwarding rules without routing protocols

• US 10,097,403 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cloudgenix, Inc. (Palo Alto Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anand, Venkataraman, Ramasamy, Arivu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US14/856,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 : based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 : Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 : using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 : Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 : Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 : Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 : by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 : Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 : Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 : by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 : Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 : Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 : Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 : using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 : using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 : for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 : for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

A method includes determining a plurality of network segments comprising a network, determining a manner in which the plurality of segments are connected, determining network segments and how segments are connected, at least in part, without a routing protocol, discovering a plurality of external network segments via a hub device associated with the network and utilizing the plurality of network segments comprising the network, the manner in which the plurality of segments are connected and the plurality of external network segments.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a plurality of network segments comprising a network;

determining a manner in which the plurality of network segments are connected by determining a plurality of entities connected via the plurality of network segments and identifying, for each entity of the plurality of entities, whether the entity is a hub device or a spoke device;

wherein the determining the plurality of network segments comprising the network and the manner in which the plurality of network segments are connected, are determined, at least in part, without use of a routing protocol;

discovering a plurality of external network segments via an identified hub device associated with the network;

storing the plurality of network segments, the manner in which the plurality of network segments are connected, and the plurality of external network segments in a database of a multi-tenant controller; and

utilizing the plurality of network segments comprising the network, the manner in which the plurality of network segments are connected, the plurality of external network segments, by the multi-tenant controller, and a set of rules to create a forwarding table, wherein the set of rules includes a rule that no traffic is allowed to transit through a spoke device, a rule that traffic is allowed to transit through a hub device, a rule that no direct traffic is allowed between hub devices, and a rule that each hub device has at most one path for a given IP prefix.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the utilizing further comprises performing network topology identification, simulation, and load testing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identification, simulation, and load testing are controlled by the multi-tenant controller.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting asymmetric network data traffic and associated network devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises connectivity selected from a group including hybrid, physical, and logical.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network employs routing protocols selected from a group including BGP, IS-IS, EIGRP, and OSPF.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein routing in the network is based, at least in part, on a network prefix type.

8. A centrally controllable multi-tenant controller for controlling a plurality of assets across a plurality of distributed computing environments wherein the controller includes a database for storing program instructions and is configured to:

determine a plurality of network segments comprising a network;

determine a manner in which the plurality of network segments are connected;

identify, for each asset of the plurality of assets, whether the asset is a hub device or a spoke device;

where the determination of the plurality of network segments comprising the network and the manner in which the plurality of network segments are connected, are determined, at least in part, without use of a routing protocol;

discover a plurality of external network segments via an identified hub device associated with the network;

store the plurality of network segments, the manner in which the plurality of network segments are connected, and the plurality of external segments in the database; and

utilize the plurality of network segments and addresses comprising the network, the manner in which the plurality of segments are connected, the plurality of external network segments, and a set of rules to establish at least one forwarding table, wherein the set of rules includes a rule that no traffic is allowed to transit through a spoke device, a rule that traffic is allowed to transit through a hub device, a rule that no direct traffic is allowed between hub devices, and a rule that each hub device has at most one path for a given IP prefix.

9. The centrally controllable multi-tenant controller of claim 8, wherein the utilizing further comprises performing network topology identification, simulation and load testing.

10. The centrally controllable multi-tenant controller of claim 9, wherein the identification, simulation and load testing are controlled by a multi-tenant controller.

11. The centrally controllable multi-tenant controller of claim 8, further configured to detect asymmetric network data traffic and associated network devices.

12. The centrally controllable multi-tenant controller of claim 8, wherein the network comprises connectivity selected from a group including hybrid, physical and logical.

13. The centrally controllable multi-tenant controller of claim 8, wherein the network employs routing protocols selected from a group including BGP, IS-IS, EIGRP and OSPF.

14. The centrally controllable multi-tenant controller of claim 8, wherein routing in the network is based, at least in part, on a network prefix type.