END-TO-END VIRTUALIZATION

• US 20120099602A1
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagapudi, Venkatesh, Altekar, Satsheel B.
• Application Number:
  US13/157,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20120099602A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates end-to-end virtualization. During operation, a network interface residing on an end host sets up a tunnel. The network interface then encapsulates a packet destined to a virtual machine based on a tunneling protocol. By establishing a tunnel that allows a source host to address a remote virtual machine, embodiments of the present invention facilitate end-to-end virtualization.

Claims

1. A network interface, comprising:

a tunnel set-up mechanism configured to set up a tunnel at the network interface which resides on an end host; and

an encapsulation mechanism configured to encapsulate a packet based on a tunneling protocol.

2. The network interface of claim 1, further comprising a data structure storing mapping information between a destination entity'"'"'s identifying information and a tunnel'"'"'s identifying information.

3. The network interface of claim 2, wherein the destination entity is a virtual machine.

4. The network interface of claim 2, wherein the destination entity'"'"'s identifying information comprises at least one of a layer-2 address and a virtual local area network tag.

5. The network interface of claim 2, wherein the tunnel'"'"'s identifying information comprises at least one of:

a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) label, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) key.

6. The network interface of claim 1, wherein the tunneling protocol is MPLS;

and

wherein the encapsulation mechanism is configured to encapsulate the packet with an inner end-to-end label and an outer hop-by-hop label.

7. The network interface of claim 1, further comprising a decapsulation mechanism configured to decapsulate a packet encapsulated based on a tunneling protocol.

8. A method, comprising:

setting up a tunnel at a network interface residing on an end host; and

encapsulating at the network interface a packet based on a tunneling protocol.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing mapping information between a destination entity'"'"'s identifying information and a tunnel'"'"'s identifying information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the destination entity is a virtual machine.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the destination entity'"'"'s identifying information comprises at least one of a layer-2 address and a virtual local area network tag.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the tunnel'"'"'s identifying information comprises at least one of:

a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) label, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) key.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the tunneling protocol is MPLS;

and

wherein the encapsulation mechanism is configured to encapsulate the packet with an inner end-to-end label and an outer hop-by-hop label.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising decapsulating a packet encapsulated based on the tunneling protocol.

15. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

setting up a tunnel at a network interface residing on an end host; and

encapsulating at the network interface a packet based on a tunneling protocol.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises storing mapping information between a destination entity'"'"'s identifying information and a tunnel'"'"'s identifying information.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the destination entity is a virtual machine.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the destination entity'"'"'s identifying information comprises at least one of a layer-2 address and a virtual local area network tag.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the tunnel'"'"'s identifying information comprises at least one of:

a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) label, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) key.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the tunneling protocol is MPLS;

and

wherein the encapsulation mechanism is configured to encapsulate the packet with an inner end-to-end label and an outer hop-by-hop label.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises decapsulating a packet encapsulated based on the tunneling protocol.