Cross-layer approach to virtualized overlay on ad hoc networks

• US 8,547,868 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ding, Gang, Rungta, Sanjay, Vicente, John, Krishnaswamy, Dilip, Chan, Winson C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US13/104,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to a cross-layer approach to virtualized overlay on ad hoc networks are described. In one embodiment, a virtual address may be used to search for a (key,value) pair in a virtual overlay. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of computing nodes to form a virtual overlay;

a first computing node of the plurality of computing nodes to comprise a protocol stack, wherein the protocol stack is to comprise;

a plurality of virtual machines, wherein the first computing node is to share at least two of the plurality of virtual machines to participate in cross-layer searching operations associated with the virtual overlay and cross-layer monitoring operations associated with the virtual overlay,

wherein the cross-layer searching operations are to determine a physically shortest route to obtain requested data; and

wherein the cross-layer monitoring operations are to provide information corresponding to underlying networks to other nodes and other overlays to allow the other nodes and overlays to determine network conditions without the other nodes and overlays conducting cross-layer information exchange.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first computing node is to generate a route reply for a virtual address in response to a route request, received from a second computing node from the plurality of computing nodes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second computing node is to transmit the route request for the virtual address via a wireless network to one or more of the plurality of computing nodes.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the route reply comprises information corresponding to a key and a value.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising hash logic to map the key to the virtual address.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the virtual address comprises an indicia to indicate to other computing nodes in the virtual overlay that the address is a virtual address.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein one or more of the plurality of computing nodes comprise a memory to store one or more of the virtual address, the key, or the value.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein data stored in the memory is sorted based on the virtual address.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second computing node is to comprise a network facility to broadcast the route request to one or more of the plurality of computing nodes.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of computing nodes are to form a virtual network monitoring overlay to collect the underlying network information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the virtual network monitoring overlay is to provide the collected information to one or more computing nodes of the plurality of computing nodes.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the collected information is to comprise one or more of periodic link quality measurements and node location information.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of nodes are to comprise multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed on a processor configure the processor to:

to form a virtual overlay by a plurality of computing nodes;

share at least two of a plurality of virtual machines of a protocol stack of a first computing node of the plurality of computing nodes to participate in cross-layer searching operations associated with the virtual overlay and cross-layer monitoring operations associated with the virtual overlay,

wherein the cross-layer searching operations are to determine a physically shortest route to obtain requested data; and

wherein the cross-layer monitoring operations are to provide information corresponding to underlying networks to other nodes and other overlays to allow the other nodes and overlays to determine network conditions without the other nodes and overlays conducting cross-layer information exchange.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising one or more instructions that configure the processor to generate a route reply for a virtual address in response to a route request, received from a second computing node from the plurality of computing nodes.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising one or more instructions that configure the processor to hash a key to generate a virtual address, wherein the route reply is to comprise information corresponding to the key.

17. A system comprising:

a memory to store a key and a corresponding value;

a plurality of computing nodes to form a virtual overlay; and

a first computing node of the plurality of computing nodes to comprise a protocol stack, wherein the protocol stack is to comprise;

a plurality of virtual machines, wherein the first computing node is to share at least two of the plurality of virtual machines to participate in cross-layer searching operations associated with the virtual overlay and cross-layer monitoring operations associated with the virtual overlay,

wherein the cross-layer searching operations are to determine a physically shortest route to obtain requested data; and

wherein the cross-layer monitoring operations are to provide information corresponding to underlying networks to other nodes and other overlays to allow the other nodes and overlays to determine network conditions without the other nodes and overlays conducting cross-layer information exchange.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first computing node is to transmit a route request for a virtual address corresponding to the key via a wireless network to one or more of a plurality of computing nodes.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a second node to generate a route reply for the virtual address in response to the route request.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first computing node comprises a hash logic to map the key to the virtual address.