Managing use of intermediate destination hardware devices for provided computer networks
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving configuration information for a first virtual computer network with multiple computing nodes, the configuration information indicating a specified network topology for the first virtual computer network that includes a first network node for use in providing a specified type of functionality; and
providing, by one or more programmed computing systems, the first virtual computer network in accordance with the received configuration information by overlaying the first virtual computer network on a distinct substrate network, the overlaying of the first virtual computer network including configuring one or more devices connected to the substrate network to act as the first network node for the first virtual computer network by providing the specified type of functionality, the providing of the first virtual computer network including;
forwarding a first communication over the substrate network between computing nodes of a first group without sending the first communication to the first network node;
determining, by the one or more programmed computing systems, to use the first network node as an intermediate destination for an additional communication based at least in part on the specified network topology, wherein the additional communication is from a source computing node in the first group to a destination computing node that is not in the first group; and
after the determining, encoding the additional communication for the substrate network and initiating forwarding the encoded additional communication over the substrate network from the source computing node to a translation manager module that manages decoding of encoded communications for the configured one or more devices, to enable the configured one or more devices to manage further forwarding of the additional communication to the destination computing node in accordance with the specified type of functionality.
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Abstract
Techniques are described for providing a managed computer network, such as for a managed virtual computer network overlaid on another substrate computer network, and including managing communications for computing nodes of the managed computer network by using one or more particular hardware devices connected to the substrate computer network to operate as a logical network node of the managed computer network that acts as an intermediate destination to provide one or more types of functionality for at least some communications that are sent by and/or directed to one or more computing nodes of the managed computer network. For example, a communication manager module associated with a source computing node for the managed computer network may determine to direct a communication from the source computing node over the substrate network to one or more substrate hardware devices that represent a particular intermediate destination network node of the managed computer network.
42 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving configuration information for a first virtual computer network with multiple computing nodes, the configuration information indicating a specified network topology for the first virtual computer network that includes a first network node for use in providing a specified type of functionality; and providing, by one or more programmed computing systems, the first virtual computer network in accordance with the received configuration information by overlaying the first virtual computer network on a distinct substrate network, the overlaying of the first virtual computer network including configuring one or more devices connected to the substrate network to act as the first network node for the first virtual computer network by providing the specified type of functionality, the providing of the first virtual computer network including; forwarding a first communication over the substrate network between computing nodes of a first group without sending the first communication to the first network node; determining, by the one or more programmed computing systems, to use the first network node as an intermediate destination for an additional communication based at least in part on the specified network topology, wherein the additional communication is from a source computing node in the first group to a destination computing node that is not in the first group; and after the determining, encoding the additional communication for the substrate network and initiating forwarding the encoded additional communication over the substrate network from the source computing node to a translation manager module that manages decoding of encoded communications for the configured one or more devices, to enable the configured one or more devices to manage further forwarding of the additional communication to the destination computing node in accordance with the specified type of functionality. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computing system, comprising:
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one or more processors; and a communication manager module that is associated with one or more computing nodes of a first virtual computer network overlaid on a second substrate network and that is configured to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, manage communications sent by the one or more computing nodes in accordance with specified network topology information for the first virtual computer network, by; determining, before forwarding a first communication over the second substrate network, to use an indicated network node of the first virtual computer network as an intermediate destination for the first communication, the determining being based at least in part on the specified network topology information for the first virtual computer network; identifying one or more devices accessible via the second substrate network for use as the indicated network node for the first virtual computer network, wherein the identified one or more devices are configured to provide a type of functionality specified for the indicated network node and have one or more associated translation manager modules to manage decoding of communications from the virtual computer network that are sent over the second substrate network to the identified one or more devices; and initiating forwarding the first communication over the second substrate network to the one or more associated translation manager modules for the identified one or more devices, to enable the identified one or more devices to manage further handling of the first communication in accordance with the provided type of functionality before further forwarding of the first communication to an indicated final destination for the first communication. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that configure a computing system to manage communications sent by one or more computing nodes of a first virtual computer network in accordance with specified network topology information for the first virtual computer network, by:
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determining, by the configured computing system and before forwarding a first communication over a second substrate network on which the first virtual computer network is overlaid, to use an indicated network node of the first virtual computer network as an intermediate destination for the first communication, the determining being based at least in part on the specified network topology information for the first virtual computer network; identifying, by the configured computing system, one or more devices accessible via the second substrate network for use as the indicated network node for the first virtual computer network, wherein the identified one or more devices are configured to provide a type of functionality specified for the indicated network node and have one or more associated translation manager modules to manage communications for the virtual computer network that are sent over the second substrate network to the identified one or more devices; and initiating, by the configured computing system, forwarding the first communication over the second substrate network to the one or more associated translation manager modules for the identified one or more devices, to enable the identified one or more devices to manage further handling of the first communication in accordance with the provided type of functionality before further forwarding of the first communication to an indicated final destination for the first communication. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification