SOFTWARE-DEFINED MULTINETWORK BRIDGE

• US 20140280738A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rackspace US Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rackspace US Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Klker, Jason, Dietz, Matthew Charles
• Granted Patent: US 9,967,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities

Abstract

An example system for bridging between networks includes a first server that launches a first virtual machine in a first network. The system includes a first network controller that is coupled to the first network and sends a request for a bridge between the first network and a second network. The system also includes a second server that launches a second virtual machine in the second network. The system further includes a second network controller that is coupled to the second network, receives the request for the bridge, and in response to the request, creates the bridge between the first and second networks. The bridge enables the first virtual machine in the first network to communicate with the second virtual machine in the second network.

Claims

1. A system for bridging between networks, the system comprising:

a first server that launches a first virtual machine in a first network;

a first network controller that is coupled to the first network and sends a request for a bridge between the first network and a second network;

a second server that launches a second virtual machine in the second network; and

a second network controller that is coupled to the second network, and that receives the request for the bridge, and in response to the request, creates the bridge between the first and second networks,

wherein the bridge enables the first virtual machine in the first network to communicate with the second virtual machine in the second network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network is maintained by a first service provider, and the second network is maintained by a second service provider different from the first service provider.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the request, the first network controller receives network data associated with the second virtual machine and uses the network data to communicate with the second virtual machine.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge uses a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge uses a stateless transport tunnel (STT).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge uses a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt traffic between the first and second networks.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge uses multiprotocol label switching (MPLS).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge uses network virtualization using generic routing encapsulation (NVGRE).

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge uses virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN).

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network controller is coupled to a first plugin, and the second network controller is coupled to a second plugin different from the first plugin, wherein the first plugin creates a first virtual network and the second plugin creates a second virtual network, and the bridge connects the first and second virtual networks.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second plugins create virtual networks differently.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network controller destroys the bridge, and after the first network controller destroys the bridge, communications between the first and second virtual machines are disabled.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network controller destroys the bridge, and after the second network controller destroys the bridge, communications between the first and second virtual machines are disabled.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein an authenticator is coupled to the second server and receives credentials from the first network to authenticate a client associated with the first network.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the credentials include an access token having an expiration date.

16. A system for bridging between networks, the system comprising:

a first server that launches a first virtual machine in a first network;

a first network controller that is coupled to the first network, sends a request for a bridge between the first network and a second network, and in response to the request receives network data associated with a second virtual machine in the second network,

wherein the first network controller broadcasts a communication on the first network using the network data associated with the second virtual machine, and receives a response from the second virtual machine,

wherein the request causes a second network controller that is coupled to the second network to create the bridge between the first and second networks and further causes a second server to launch the second virtual machine,

wherein the bridge enables the first virtual machine in the first network to communicate with the second virtual machine in the second network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first network is maintained by a first service provider, and the second network is maintained by a second service provider different from the first service provider.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the bridge uses at least one of a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel, stateless transport tunnel (STT), virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt traffic between the first and second networks, multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), generic routing encapsulation (NVGRE), and virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN).

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first network controller is coupled to a first plugin, and the second network controller is coupled to a second plugin different from the first plugin, wherein the first plugin creates a first virtual network and the second plugin creates a second virtual network, and the bridge connects the first and second virtual networks.

20. A system for bridging between networks, the system comprising:

a first server that is coupled to a first network and that in response to a request for a bridge between the first network and a second network, launches a first virtual machine in the first network; and

a first network controller that is coupled to the first network and that in response to the request for the bridge creates the bridge between the first and second networks, and sends network data associated with the second virtual machine,

wherein the bridge enables the first and second virtual machines to communicate.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first network is maintained by a first service provider, and the second network is maintained by a second service provider different from the first service provider.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first network controller is coupled to a first plugin, and the second network controller is coupled to a second plugin different from the first plugin, wherein the first plugin creates a first virtual network and the second plugin creates a second virtual network, and the bridge connects the first and second virtual networks.

23. A method of bridging between networks, the system comprising:

launching a first virtual machine in a first network;

sending a request for a bridge between the first network and a second network;

launching a second virtual machine in the second network; and

in response to receiving the request, creating the bridge between the first and second networks,

wherein the bridge enables the first virtual machine in the first network to communicate with the second virtual machine in the second network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first network is maintained by a first service provider, and the second network is maintained by a second service provider different from the first service provider.

25. A method of bridging between networks, the method comprising:

receiving from a first network a request for a bridge between the first network and a second network;

in response to the request, creating the bridge between the first and second networks;

in response to the request, launching a second virtual machine in the second network; and

sending network data associated with the second virtual machine; and

responding to a communication from the first virtual machine;

wherein the bridge enables the first virtual machine in the first network to communicate with the second virtual machine in the second network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first network is maintained by a first service provider, and the second network is maintained by a second service provider different from the first service provider.

27. A method of bridging between networks, the method comprising:

launching a first virtual machine in a first network;

sending a request for a bridge between the first network and a second network;

in response to the request, receiving network data associated with a second virtual machine in the second network;

broadcasting a communication on the first network using the network data associated with the second virtual machine; and

receiving a response from the second virtual machine,

wherein the request causes the bridge to be created between the first and second networks and further causes the second virtual machine to be launched,

and the bridge enables the first virtual machine in the first network to communicate with the second virtual machine in the second network.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first network is maintained by a first service provider, and the second network is maintained by a second service provider different from the first service provider.

29. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions that when executed by one or more processors is adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

launching in a first network a first virtual machine;

receiving from a second network a request for a bridge between the first network and the second network;

in response to the request, creating the bridge between the first and second networks;

in response to the request, launching a second virtual machine in the second network; and

sending network data associated with the second virtual machine,

wherein the bridge enables the first virtual machine in the first network to communicate with the second virtual machine in the second network.