MAC LAYER BRIDGING OF NETWORK FRAMES BETWEEN ISOLATED AND EXTERNAL NETWORKS

• US 20080016252A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lucke, Kyle, Larson, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,757,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• 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 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/52 Multiprotocol routers

Abstract

An apparatus, program product and method bridge an isolated network such as a virtual network to an external network such as another virtual network or physical network by utilizing a network adapter on the other network that is assigned the same Media Access Control (MAC) address as an isolated network adapter on the isolated network.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

program code configured to execute on the at least one processor to bridge first and second networks, wherein the first network is coupled to a first computer via a first network adapter in the first computer, and the second network is coupled to a second computer via a second network adapter in the second computer, wherein the first network is an isolated network and the first network adapter is an isolated network adapter, and wherein the program code is further configured to, in the second computer, detect a first network frame communicated by the first computer over the first network by detecting a media access control (MAC) address for the first network frame that is associated with the first network adapter, forward the first network frame to the second network using the second network adapter such that a source MAC address for the first network frame identifies the first network adapter as a source of the first network frame, receive a second network frame that is addressed to the MAC address associated with the first network adapter from the second network via the second network adapter, and forward the second network frame to the first network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first network is a virtual network and the first network adapter is a virtual network adapter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second network is a virtual network and the second network adapter is a virtual network adapter.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second computer comprises a logical partition in a logically-partitioned computer system, wherein the first network comprises an intra-partition network resident in the logical partition, and wherein the second network comprises an inter-partition network coupled to a plurality of logical partitions.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second network is a physical network and the second network adapter is a physical network adapter.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first computer is integrated into the second computer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first computer comprises an integrated card-based computer.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second computer comprises a logical partition in a logically-partitioned computer system.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the program code includes a device driver for a third network adapter coupled to the first network and a device driver for the second network adapter, wherein the device driver for the third network adapter is configured to detect the first network frame and forward the first network frame to the second network by passing the first network frame to a device driver for the second network adapter, and wherein the device driver for the second network adapter is configured to initiate transfer of the first network frame to the second network using the third network adapter.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the device driver for the second network adapter is configured to forward the second network frame to the first network by receiving the second network frame and passing the second network frame to the device driver for the third network adapter, and wherein the device driver for the third network adapter is configured to initiate transfer of the second network frame to the first network using the third network adapter.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and third network adapters are assigned the same MAC address.

12. A program product, comprising:

program code configured to bridge first and second networks, wherein the first network is coupled to a first computer via a first network adapter in the first computer, and the second network is coupled to a second computer via a second network adapter in the second computer, wherein the first network is an isolated network and the first network adapter is an isolated network adapter, and wherein the program code is further configured to, in the second computer, detect a first network frame communicated by the first computer over the first network by detecting a media access control (MAC) address for the first network frame that is associated with the first network adapter, forward the first network frame to the second network using the second network adapter such that a source MAC address for the first network frame identifies the first network adapter as a source of the first network frame, receive a second network frame that is addressed to the MAC address associated with the first network adapter from the second network via the second network adapter, and forward the second network frame to the first network; and

a signal bearing medium bearing the program code.

13. The program product of claim 12, wherein the signal bearing medium includes at least one of a transmission medium and a recordable medium.