Method and apparatus for automatically configuring a network device to support a virtual network

• US 5,751,967 A
• Filed: 07/15/1996
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spherix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bay Networks Group Inc. (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Raab, Ilan, Manghirmalani, Ravi, Doitel, Ofer, Izbicki, Lynne Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): RINEHART, MARK H
• Application Number:
  US08/680,113
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.11, 395/200.1, 395/727, 395/375, 395/182.02, 395/200.54, 395/200.5, 395/200.72, 395/200.58
• US Class Current: 709/228
• 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 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

A networking system and automatic method in a networking system comprising at least one switching device and a plurality of at least one end-station interconnected with the at least one switching device, wherein the at least one switching device and at least one end-station are interconnected in a topology. A configuration device is included which has a configuration modification detection circuit for detecting the modification of the topology. A configuration policy maintenance circuit is provided for storing policies related to reconfiguring the at least one switching device upon the modification of the topology. A policy evaluation circuit is provided for determining which at least one end-station and ports should be grouped together upon the detection of the modification of the topology in a first manner. A reconfiguration circuit is provided for reconfiguring the at least one switching device in the first network to enable at least one end-station and ports to be grouped together in the first manner. Virtual local area networks may be created/extended/deleted during the reconfiguration to provide networking services to the at least one end-station.

Claims

1. A physical networking system including a plurality of end-stations said physical networking system comprising:

a. at least one switching device adapted to support a virtual network;

b. at least one end-station interconnected with said at least one switching device, wherein said at least one switching device and said end-station are interconnected in a first topology; and

c. a configuration device, said configuration device including;

i. a configuration modification detection circuit to detect the modification of said first topology;

ii. a configuration policy maintenance circuit to store a policy defining said virtual network as including a logical sub-group of said plurality of end stations according to a predetermined logical criteria

iii. a policy evaluation circuit to determine a manner in which to reconfigure said at least one switching device to implement said virtual network upon said detection of said modification of said first topology, said manner being determined in accordance with said policy; and

iv. a reconfiguration circuit automatically to reconfigure said at least one switching device in said manner.

2. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said reconfiguration includes coupling said at least one end-station in said networking system to form said virtual network according to said policy.

3. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said reconfiguring includes determining an efficient manner in which to reconfigure said at least one switching device to form said virtual network.

4. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said reconfiguring further includes reconfiguring said at least one switching device to remove said virtual network when said virtual network is no longer required.

5. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said reconfiguring further includes reconfiguring said at least one switching device to interconnect said at least one end-station and said at least one switching device so as to include said at least one end-station to said virtual network.

6. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said configuration modification detection circuit comprises a polling circuit to poll at least one automatic topology determination circuit to detect said modification of said first topology.

7. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said configuration modification detection circuit comprises a trap reception circuit to receive traps generated by at least one automatic topology determination circuit upon said modification of said first topology.

8. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said configuration modification detection circuit comprises a polling circuit to poll said at least one switching device to detect said modification of said first topology.

9. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said configuration modification detection circuit comprises a trap reception circuit to receive traps generated by said at least one switching device upon said modification of said first topology.

10. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said policy includes a member policy table identifying said at least one end-station as forming part of said virtual network.

11. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said policy includes an override policy table specifying that said at least one switching device should not be reconfigured upon said modification of said first topology.

12. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said policy includes an automatic policy table specifying automatic configuration of said at least one switching device to implement said virtual network, wherein said virtual network is characterized by a predetermined attribute of said at least one end-station.

13. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said policy identifies hardware addresses to be coupled to form said virtual network.

14. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said policy identifies ports on said at least one switching device which form said virtual network.

15. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said policy identifies asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) addresses to be coupled to form said virtual network.

16. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said policy identifies network layer addresses to be coupled to form said virtual network.

17. The networking system of claim 16 wherein said network layer addresses include internet protocol (IP) addresses.

18. The networking system of claim 1 wherein said policy specifies multiple instances of specified attributes to be coupled to form said virtual network.

19. An automatic method in a configuration device in a physical networking system having at least one switching device adapted to implement a virtual network within said physical networking system, and at least one end-station interconnected with said at least one switching device, wherein said at least one switching device and said at least one end-station are interconnected in a first topology, and said virtual network comprises a logical grouping of end-stations within said physical networking system, said automatic method comprising the steps of:

a. storing a policy defining said virtual network upon modification of said first topology, according to a predetermined logical criteria, as including said logical grouping of end-stations within said physical networking system;

b. detecting said modification of said first topology;

c. determining a manner in which to reconfigure said at least one switching device to implement said virtual network upon said detection of said modification of said first topology, said manner being determined in accordance with said policy; and

d. automatically reconfiguring said at least one switching device in said manner.

20. A method for managing a virtual network in a switched, physical networking system comprising at least one end-station, a switching device and a configuration device, wherein said virtual network comprises a logical, sub-grouping of end-stations within said physical network defined according to a predetermined logical criteria, said method of managing said virtual network comprising the following steps:

a. said configuration device communicating with said switching device to determine changes of connectivity of at least one end-station and said switching device in said switched networking system;

b. said configuration device referencing a policy for management of said virtual network in said switched networking system in order to determine reconfiguration of said switching device for said management of said virtual network;

c. said configuration device determining said reconfiguration of said switching device; and

d. said configuration device automatically performing said reconfiguration of said switching device for said management of said virtual network.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said managing includes creating said virtual network.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said managing includes deleting said virtual network.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said managing includes maintaining said virtual network.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein said managing includes creating, deleting and maintaining said virtual network.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein said managing includes creating, deleting and maintaining said virtual network in order to create an efficient communication path among said virtual network and another virtual network.

26. Network management apparatus for use in a physical networking system, said physical networking system having at least one switching device capable of implementing a virtual network and at least one end-station interconnectable with said switching device, wherein said at least one switching device and said at least one end-station are interconnected in a first topology, and wherein said virtual network comprises a sub-group of end-stations of said physical networking system allocated to a virtual network grouping according to a predetermined logical criteria, said network management apparatus comprising:

a. a configuration modification detection circuit to detect the modification of said first topology;

b. a policy evaluation circuit to identify said at least one end-station as being allocated to said virtual network grouping utilizing a policy upon said detection of said modification of said first topology; and

c. a reconfiguration circuit automatically to reconfigure said switching device to implement said virtual network grouping of said at least one end-station.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising a configuration policy maintenance circuit to store said policy for determining said virtual network grouping of said at least one end-station.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said configuration modification detection circuit comprises a polling circuit to poll at least one automatic topology determination circuit in said networking system to detect said modification of said first topology.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said configuration modification detection circuit comprises a trap reception to receive traps generated by at least one automatic topology determination circuit in said networking system upon said modification of said first topology.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said configuration modification detection circuit comprises a polling circuit to poll said at least one switching device in said networking system to detect said modification of said first topology.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said configuration modification detection circuit comprises a trap reception circuit to receive traps generated by said switching device in said networking system upon said modification of said first topology.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said configuration modification detection circuit generates a list of end-stations requiring evaluation.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said policy evaluation circuit matches said list of end-stations requiring evaluation with said policy in order to determine said virtual network grouping.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said reconfiguration circuit determines said reconfiguring of said at least one switching device according to said virtual network grouping of said at least one end-station.

35. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said policy includes a member policy table identifying said at least one end-station as forming part of said virtual network.

36. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said policy includes an override policy table specifying that said at least one switching device should not be reconfigured upon said modification of said first topology.

37. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said policy includes an automatic policy table specifying automatic creation of said virtual network based on a predetermined attribute of said at least one end-station.

38. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said policy identifies hardware addresses to be coupled to form said virtual network.

39. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said policy identifies ports on said at least one switching device which form said virtual network.

40. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said policy identifies asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) addresses to be coupled to form said virtual network.

41. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said policy identifies network layer addresses to be coupled to form said virtual network.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said network layer addresses include internet protocol (IP) addresses.

43. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said policy includes a specification of multiple instances of specified attributes to be coupled to form said virtual network.

44. Network management apparatus in a networking system including a plurality of end-stations, said networking system having at least one switching device capable of supporting a virtual network and at least one end-station interconnected with said at least one switching device, wherein said at least one switching device and said at least one end-station are interconnected in a first topology, and wherein said virtual network comprises a logical sub-grouping of end stations defined according to a predetermined logical criteria, said network management apparatus comprising:

a. a configuration policy maintenance circuit for storing a policy defining said virtual network and allocating said at least one end-station to said virtual network according to said predetermined logical criteria;

b. a configuration modification detection circuit for detecting modification of said first topology;

c. a policy evaluation circuit for determining said allocation of said at least one end-station to said virtual network, by referencing said policy stored in said configuration policy maintenance circuit, upon said detection of said modification of said first topology; and

d. a reconfiguration circuit for automatically reconfiguring said at least one switching device upon said detection of said modification of said first topology to implement said virtual network.

45. An automatic method for configuration of a networking system having at least one switching device capable of supporting a virtual network and at least one end-station interconnectable with said at least one switching device, wherein said at least one switching device and at least one end-station are interconnected in a first topology, and wherein said virtual network comprises a plurality of end-stations allocated to a logical grouping defined according to a predetermined logical criteria, said method comprising the following steps:

storing a policy defining said logical grouping of said end-stations according to said predetermined logical criteria;

detecting modification of said first topology;

upon detection of said modification, determining said logical grouping of said at least one end-station to form said virtual network according to said policy; and

upon said detection of said modification, automatically reconfiguring said at least one switching device in said network to support said logical grouping of said at least one end-station.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein said configuration modification detection comprises polling at least one topology determination circuit in said network to determine said modification of said first topology.

47. The method of claim 45 wherein said configuration modification detection comprises receiving traps generated by said at least one topology determination circuit in said network upon said modification of said first topology.

48. The method of claim 45 wherein said configuration modification detection comprises polling said at least one switching device in said network to determine said modification of said first topology.

49. The method of claim 45 wherein said configuration modification detection comprises receiving traps generated by said at least one switching device in said network upon said modification of said first topology.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein said configuration modification detection generates a list of end-stations requiring evaluation.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein said policy evaluation matches said list of end-stations requiring evaluation with said policy in order to determine said logical grouping.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein said reconfiguration circuit determines said reconfiguring of said at least one switching device according to said logical grouping of said at least one end-station.

53. The method of claim 45 wherein said policy includes a member policy table identifying said at least one end-station as forming part of said virtual network.

54. The method of claim 45 wherein said policy includes an override policy table specifying that said at least one switching device should not be reconfigured upon said modification of said first topology.

55. The method of claim 45 wherein said policy includes an automatic policy table specifying automatic creation of said virtual network based on a predetermined attribute of said at least one end-station.

56. The method of claim 45 wherein said policy identifies hardware addresses to be coupled to form said virtual network.

57. The method of claim 45 wherein said policy identifies ports on said at least one switching device which form said virtual network.

58. The method of claim 45 wherein said policy identifies asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) addresses to be coupled to form said virtual network.

59. The method of claim 45 wherein said policy identifies network layer addresses to be coupled to form said virtual network.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein said network layer addresses include internet protocol (IP) addresses.

61. The method of claim 45 wherein said policy includes a specification of multiple instances of specified attributes of said at least one end station be coupled to form said virtual network.