CONFIGURATION OF A VIRTUAL SERVICE NETWORK

• US 20140169168A1
• Filed: 12/15/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Jalan, Rajkumar, Kamat, Gurudeep
• Granted Patent: US 9,106,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• 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 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• 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 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level

Abstract

Configuration of a virtual service network by a configuring node includes: determining that the virtual service is to be configured; determining a configuration associated with the virtual service and including packet forwarding policies associated with the virtual service, each packet forwarding policy including a virtual service network address and a destination; and sending the packet forwarding policies in the configuration to a network node. The network node: stores the packet forwarding policies; receives a data packet for the virtual service and including a virtual service network address; determines a match between the virtual service network address in the data packet with the virtual service network address in a given packet forwarding policy of the stored packet forwarding policies; obtains a given destination in the given packet forwarding policy; and sends the data packet to a service load balancer associated with the given destination by the network node.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a virtual service network, the virtual service network comprising a network node and a plurality of service load balancers serving a virtual service associated with a virtual service network address, comprising:

(a) determining by a configuring node that the virtual service is to be configured;

(b) determining a configuration associated with the virtual service by the configuring node, the configuration comprising one or more packet forwarding policies associated with the virtual service, each packet forwarding policy comprising a virtual service network address and a destination; and

(c) sending the packet forwarding policies in the configuration to the network node, wherein the network node;

(c1) stores the packet forwarding policies;

(c2) receives a data packet for the virtual service, the data packet comprising a virtual service network address;

(c3) determines a match between the virtual service network address in the data packet with the virtual service network address in a given packet forwarding policy of the stored packet forwarding policies;

(c4) obtains a given destination in the given packet forwarding policy; and

(c5) sends the data packet to a service load balancer associated with the given destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) determining by the configuring node whether the configuration of the virtual service network for the virtual service is to be changed according to a condition criteria comprised in a second configuration associated with the virtual service, the second configuration further comprising one or more second packet forwarding policies;

(e) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the virtual service is to be changed according to the condition criteria, sending the second packet forwarding policies in the second configuration to the network node, wherein the network node replaces the stored packet forwarding policies with the second packet forwarding policies.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the condition criteria comprise one or more of the following:

time;

a condition of one or more of the service load balancers;

or availability of the service load balancers to serve the virtual service.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sending (e) comprises:

(e1) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the virtual service is to be changed according to the condition criteria, causing the network node to remove the stored packet forwarding policies; and

(e2) sending the second packet forwarding policies in the second configuration to the network node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service load balancers serve a first virtual service and a second virtual service, wherein the configuring node comprises a first configuration associated with a first virtual service and a second configuration associated with a second virtual service, the first configuration comprising a first condition criteria and one or more first packet forwarding policies, the second configuration comprising a second condition criteria and one or more second packet forwarding policies, wherein the method further comprises:

(d) determining by the configuring node whether the configuration of the virtual service network for the first virtual service or the second virtual service is to be changed according to the first condition criteria or the second condition criteria;

(e) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the first virtual service is to be changed according to the first condition criteria, sending the first packet forwarding policies in the first configuration to the network node, wherein the network node replaces stored packet forwarding policies associated with the first virtual service with the first packet forwarding policies; and

(f) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the second virtual service is to be changed according to the second condition criteria, sending the second packet forwarding policies in the second configuration to the network node, wherein the network node replaces stored packet forwarding policies associated with the second virtual service with the second packet forwarding policies.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration further comprises one or more second packet forwarding policies, wherein the method further comprises:

(d) determining by the configuring node that a second network node of the virtual service network is to be configured for the virtual service; and

(e) sending the second packet forwarding policies in the configuration to the second network node.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program instructions for configuring a virtual service network, the virtual service network comprising a network node and a plurality of service load balancers serving a virtual service associated with a virtual service network address, wherein the computer readable program instructions are configured to:

(a) determine by a configuring node that the virtual service is to be configured;

(b) determine a configuration associated with the virtual service by the configuring node, the configuration comprising one or more packet forwarding policies associated with the virtual service, each packet forwarding policy comprising a virtual service network address and a destination; and

(c) send the packet forwarding policies in the configuration file to the network node, wherein the network node;

(c1) stores the packet forwarding policies;

(c2) receives a data packet for the virtual service, the data packet comprising a virtual service network address;

(c3) determines a match between the virtual service network address in the data packet with the virtual service network address in a given packet forwarding policy of the stored packet forwarding policies;

(c4) obtains a given destination in the given packet forwarding policy; and

(c5) sends the data packet to a service load balancer associated with the given destination.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

(d) determine by the configuring node whether the configuration of the virtual service network for the virtual service is to be changed according to a condition criteria comprised in a second configuration associated with the virtual service, the second configuration file further comprising one or more second packet forwarding policies;

(e) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the virtual service is to be changed according to the condition criteria, send the second packet forwarding policies in the second configuration to the network node, wherein the network node replaces the stored packet forwarding policies with the second packet forwarding policies.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the condition criteria comprise one or more of the following:

time;

a condition of one or more of the service load balancers;

or availability of the service load balancers to serve the virtual service.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program code configured to send (e) is further configured to:

(e1) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the virtual service is to be changed according to the condition criteria, cause the network node to remove the stored packet forwarding policies; and

(e2) send the second packet forwarding policies in the second configuration to the network node.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein the service load balancers serve a first virtual service and a second virtual service, wherein the configuring node comprises a first configuration associated with a first virtual service and a second configuration associated with a second virtual service, the first configuration comprising a first condition criteria and one or more first packet forwarding policies, the second configuration comprising a second condition criteria and one or more second packet forwarding policies, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

(d) determine by the configuring node whether the configuration of the virtual service network for the first virtual service or the second virtual service is to be changed according to the first condition criteria or the second condition criteria;

(e) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the first virtual service is to be changed according to the first condition criteria, send the first packet forwarding policies in the first configuration to the network node, wherein the network node replaces stored packet forwarding policies associated with the first virtual service with the first packet forwarding policies; and

(f) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the second virtual service is to be changed according to the second condition criteria, send the second packet forwarding policies in the second configuration to the network node, wherein the network node replaces stored packet forwarding policies associated with the second virtual service with the second packet forwarding policies.

12. The medium of claim 7, wherein the configuration further comprises one or more second packet forwarding policies, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to:

(d) determine by the configuring node that a second network node of the virtual service network is to be configured for the virtual service; and

(e) send the second packet forwarding policies in the configuration to the second network node.

13. A system, comprising:

a virtual service network comprising a network node and a plurality of service load balancers serving a virtual service associated with a virtual service network address; and

a configuring node coupled to the virtual service network, wherein the configuring node;

(a) determines that the virtual service is to be configured;

(b) determines a configuration associated with the virtual service, the configuration comprising one or more packet forwarding policies associated with the virtual service, each packet forwarding policy comprising a virtual service network address and a destination; and

(c) sends the packet forwarding policies in the configuration to the network node,

wherein the network node;

(c1) stores the packet forwarding policies;

(c2) receives a data packet for the virtual service, the data packet comprising a virtual service network address;

(c3) determines a match between the virtual service network address in the data packet with the virtual service network address in a given packet forwarding policy of the stored packet forwarding policies;

(c4) obtains a given destination in the given packet forwarding policy; and

(c5) sends the data packet to a service load balancer associated with the given destination.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the configuring node further:

(d) determines whether the configuration of the virtual service network for the virtual service is to be changed according to a condition criteria comprised in a second configuration associated with the virtual service, the second configuration further comprising one or more second packet forwarding policies;

(e) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the virtual service is to be changed according to the condition criteria, sends the second packet forwarding policies in the second configuration to the network node, wherein the network node replaces the stored packet forwarding policies with the second packet forwarding policies.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the condition criteria comprise one or more of the following:

time;

a condition of one or more of the service load balancers;

or availability of the service load balancers to serve the virtual service.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the sends (e) comprises:

(e1) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the virtual service is to be changed according to the condition criteria, cause the network node to remove the stored packet forwarding policies; and

(e2) sends the second packet forwarding policies in the second configuration to the network node.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the service load balancers serve a first virtual service and a second virtual service, wherein the configuring node comprises a first configuration associated with a first virtual service and a second configuration associated with a second virtual service, the first configuration comprising a first condition criteria and one or more first packet forwarding policies, the second configuration comprising a second condition criteria and one or more second packet forwarding policies, wherein the configuring node further:

(d) determines whether the configuration of the virtual service network for the first virtual service or the second virtual service is to be changed according to the first condition criteria or the second condition criteria;

(e) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the first virtual service is to be changed according to the first condition criteria, sends the first packet forwarding policies in the first configuration to the network node, wherein the network node replaces stored packet forwarding policies associated with the first virtual service with the first packet forwarding policies; and

(f) in response to determining that the configuration of the virtual service network for the second virtual service is to be changed according to the second condition criteria, sends the second packet forwarding policies in the second configuration to the network node, wherein the network node replaces stored packet forwarding policies associated with the second virtual service with the second packet forwarding policies.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the configuration further comprises one or more second packet forwarding policies, wherein the configuring node further:

(d) determines that a second network node of the virtual service network is to be configured for the virtual service; and

(e) sends the second packet forwarding policies in the configuration to the second network node.

19. A method for configuring a virtual service network, the virtual service network comprising a network node and a plurality of service load balancers serving a virtual service associated with a virtual service network address, comprising:

(a) receiving by the network node one or more packet forwarding policies associated with the virtual service from a configuring node, the configuring node being coupled to the virtual service network, each of the packet forwarding policies comprising a virtual service network address and a destination;

(b) storing by the network node the packet forwarding policies;

(c) receiving a data packet for the virtual service, the data packet comprising a virtual service network address;

(d) comparing by the network node the virtual service network address in the data packet with the virtual service network address in one or more of the stored packet forwarding policies;

(e) in response to finding a match between the virtual service network address in the data packet with the virtual service network address in a given packet forwarding policy, determining a given destination in the given packet forwarding policy by the network node; and

(f) sending the data packet to a service load balancer associated with the given destination by the network node.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

(g) receiving by the network node one or more second packet forwarding policies associated with the virtual service from the configuring node, each of the second packet forwarding policies comprising a second virtual service network address and a second destination;

(h) storing by the network node the second packet forwarding policies, wherein the second packet forwarding policies replace the stored packet forwarding policies;

(i) receiving a second data packet for the virtual service, the second data packet comprising a second virtual service network address;

(j) comparing by the network node the second virtual service network address in the second data packet with the second virtual service network address in one or more of the stored second packet forwarding policies; and

(k) in response to finding a match between the second virtual service network address in the second data packet with the second virtual service network address in a given second packet forwarding policy, determining a given second destination in the given second packet forwarding policy by the network node; and

(l) sending the second data packet to a second service load balancer associated with the given second destination by the network node.