SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING CLOUD IP ADDRESS UTILIZATION USING A DISTRIBUTOR REGISTRY

• US 20100235526A1
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Carter, Stephen R., Olds, Dale Robert, McClain, Carolyn Bennion, Burch, Lloyd Leon, Allen, Jared Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• 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 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

System and method for providing cloud computing services are described. In one embodiment, the system comprises a cloud computing environment comprising resources for supporting cloud workloads, each cloud workload having associated therewith an internal cloud address; and a routing system disposed between external workloads of an external computing environment and the cloud workloads, the routing system for directing traffic from an external cloud address to the internal cloud addresses of the cloud workloads. The routing system comprises a virtual router configured to function as a network address translator (“NAT”); a distributor connected between the virtual router and the cloud workloads; and a distributor registry accessible by the distributor for maintaining information comprising at least one of port mappings, cloud address mappings, and cloud workload configuration information.

Claims

1. A system for providing cloud computing services, the system comprising:

a cloud computing environment comprising resources for supporting cloud workloads, each cloud workload having associated therewith an internal cloud address; and

a routing system disposed between external workloads of an external computing environment and the cloud workloads, the routing system for directing traffic from an external address to the internal cloud addresses of the cloud workloads, the routing system comprising;

a virtual router configured to function as a network address translator (“

NAT”

);

a distributor connected between the virtual router and the cloud workloads; and

a distributor registry accessible by the distributor for maintaining information comprising at least one of port mappings, cloud address mappings, and cloud workload configuration information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the distributor maps at least one port designation to the cloud workloads via the internal cloud addresses.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a secure communications channel disposed between the cloud computing environment and the external computing environment.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the cloud workloads communicates information comprising its internal cloud address and at least one port designation to the distributor, which logs the information in the distributor registry.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the information maintained by the distributor registry is available to the cloud workloads for enabling performance of at least one of clustering, remedial clustering, and cooperative computing and storage management operations.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the routing system further comprises:

a plurality of virtual routers; and

a plurality of distributors each connected to a respective one of the plurality of virtual routers;

wherein the distributor registry is accessible by each one of the plurality of distributors.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein at least one of the plurality of distributors is disposed outside of the cloud computing environment.

8. A system for providing cloud computing services, the system comprising:

cloud computing means comprising resources for supporting cloud workloads each having associated therewith an internal cloud address; and

routing means disposed between external workload of an external computing environment and the cloud workloads, the routing means comprising;

means configured to function as a network address translator (“

NAT”

);

distribution means connected between the NAT means and the cloud workloads; and

registry means accessible by the distribution means for maintaining information comprising at least one of port mappings, address mappings, and configuration information for each of the cloud workloads.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the distribution means maps at least one port designation to the cloud workloads via the internal addresses.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising secure communications means disposed between the cloud computing means and the external computing means.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein each of the cloud workloads communicates information comprising its internal address and at least one port designation to the distribution means, which logs the information in the registry means.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the information maintained by the registry means is available to the cloud workloads for enabling performance of at least one of clustering, remedial clustering, and cooperative computing and storage management operations.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the routing means further comprises:

a plurality of virtual routers; and

a plurality of distributors each connected to a respective one of the plurality of virtual routers;

wherein the registry means is accessible by each one of the plurality of distributors.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the plurality of distributors is disposed outside of the cloud computing means.

15. A method of providing cloud computing services, the method comprising:

providing a cloud computing environment comprising resources for supporting cloud workloads, each cloud workload having associated therewith an internal address; and

routing traffic between external workloads of an external computing environment to the cloud workloads, the routing comprising directing traffic from an external address to the internal cloud addresses and further comprising;

providing a virtual router configured to function as a network address translator (“

NAT”

);

providing a distributor connected between the virtual router and the cloud workloads; and

providing a distributor registry accessible by the distributor for maintaining port mappings, address mappings, and cloud workload configuration information.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising mapping at least one port designation to the cloud workloads via the internal cloud addresses.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising establishing a secure communications channel between the cloud computing environment and the external computing environment.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

communicating from each of the cloud workloads information comprising the internal address of the cloud workload and at least one port designation of the cloud workload; and

logging the communicated information in the distributor registry.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising making available to the cloud workloads the information maintained by the distributor registry for enabling the cloud workloads to perform at least one of clustering, remedial clustering, and cooperative computing and storage management operations.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the routing further comprises:

providing a plurality of virtual routers;

providing a plurality of distributors each connected to a respective one of the virtual routers;

wherein the distributor registry is accessible by each one of the plurality of distributors.