Computer system and visualization method of virtual network

• US 9,425,987 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Masuda, Takahisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Dady
• Application Number:
  US14/376,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20150036538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/248, 370/252, 370/254, 370/255, 370/328, 370/351, 370/389, 370/392, 370/408, 370/420, 370/503, 370/509, 370/512
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

A controller of the present invention specifies a transmission virtual node and a reception virtual node of packet data by acquiring from a switch, a reception notice of packet data transferred between virtual networks which are managed by different controllers. A managing unit combines the virtual networks managed by the different controllers by using the transmission virtual node and the reception virtual node as common virtual nodes. Thus, the whole virtual network which is controlled by the plurality of controllers using an open flow technique can be managed by one source.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of controllers, each of which is configured to calculate a communication route, set a flow entry to each of switches on the communication route and manage a virtual network which is built based on the communication route;

said switches, each of which is configured to carry out a relay operation of a reception packet based on the flow entry set to its own flow table; and

an external managing unit configured to combine a plurality of said virtual networks managed by said plurality of controllers to output visibly,

wherein one controller of said plurality of controllers acquires a reception notice of packet data which is transferred between two of said plurality of virtual networks managed by said one controller and another controller of said plurality of controllers from one of said switches, to specify a transmission virtual node and a reception virtual node of the packet data, and

wherein said external managing unit combines said two virtual networks by using the transmission virtual node and the reception virtual node as common virtual nodes, to output visibly.

2. The computer system according to claim 1,

wherein a first controller of two controllers as said one controller and said another controller transfers a test packet from a first host on a first virtual network of the two virtual networks which is managed by said first controller to a second host on a second virtual network of the two virtual networks which is managed by a second controller of the two controllers,

wherein said second controller specifies a virtual node receiving the test packet in said second virtual network as a reception virtual node based on the test packet notified from said switch which has received the test packet and topology data of said second virtual network, and transfers test packet reception data including data of the reception virtual node from said second host to said first host, and

wherein said first controller specifies a virtual node receiving the test packet reception data in said first virtual network based on the test packet reception data notified from said switch which has received the test packet reception data and topology data of said first virtual network, and relates the transmission virtual node and the reception virtual node contained in the test packet reception data to each other, to notify to said external managing unit as corresponding virtual node data.

3. The computer system according to claim 2,

wherein said virtual node comprises a virtual bridge,

wherein a combination of a transmission virtual bridge and a reception virtual bridge which correspond to each other is set to corresponding virtual node data,

wherein said external managing unit specifies a virtual bridge common to said plurality of virtual networks based on topology data of said plurality of virtual networks and the corresponding virtual node data, and combines said plurality of virtual networks through said common virtual bridge.

4. The computer system according to claim 3,

wherein said virtual node comprises a virtual external which is viewed as a connection destination of said virtual bridge,

wherein a combination of a corresponding transmission virtual external and a corresponding reception virtual external is set to the virtual node data,

wherein said external managing unit specifies a virtual external which is common to said plurality of virtual network based on the topology data of said plurality of virtual networks and said corresponding virtual node data, and combines said plurality of virtual networks through the common virtual external.

5. The computer system according to claim 1,

wherein said controller holds the topology data of the virtual network set by relating a VLAN name to the virtual node,

wherein said switch notifies the VLAN name allocated to a port which has received the packet data, to the controller, in notification of the reception of the packet data,

wherein said controller specifies the virtual node which has received the packet data, by using a VLAN name based on the topology data.

6. The computer system according to claim 1,

wherein said external managing unit is arranged in either of said plurality of controllers.

7. The computer system according to claim 1,

wherein a first controller of two controllers as said one controller and said another controller transfers a test packet from a first host on a first virtual network of the two virtual networks which is managed by said first controller to a second host on a second virtual network of the two virtual networks which is managed by a second controller of the two controllers.

8. The computer system according to claim 7,

wherein said second controller specifies a virtual node receiving the test packet in said second virtual network as a reception virtual node based on the test packet notified from said switch which has received the test packet and topology data of said second virtual network, and transfers test packet reception data including data of the reception virtual node from said second host to said first host.

9. The computer system according to claim 7,

wherein said first controller specifies a virtual node receiving the test packet reception data in said first virtual network based on the test packet reception data notified from said switch which has received the test packet reception data and topology data of said first virtual network, and relates the transmission virtual node and the reception virtual node contained in the test packet reception data to each other, to notify to said external managing unit as corresponding virtual node data.

10. A visualization method of a virtual network, executed by a computer system which comprises:

a plurality of controller, each of which is configured to calculate a communication route, set a flow entry to each of switches on the communication route and manage a virtual network built based on the communication route; and

the switches, each of which carries out a relay operation of a reception packet based on the flow entry set to its own flow table,

said visualization method comprising;

a controller acquiring from said switch, a reception notice of packet data transferred between two of the virtual networks which are managed by said controller and another controller of said plurality of controllers, to specify a transmission virtual node and a reception virtual node of the packet data; and

said external managing unit combining said two virtual networks by using the transmission virtual node and the reception virtual node as common virtual nodes, to output visibly.

11. The visualization method according to claim 10, further comprising:

transferring a test packet from a first host on a first virtual network of the two virtual networks which is managed by a first controller as one of said two controllers to a second host on a second virtual network of the two virtual networks which is managed by a second controller as the other of said two controllers;

specifying, by said second controller, a virtual node receiving the test packet as a reception virtual node based on the test packet notified from a switch which has received the test packet and topology data of said second virtual network managed by said second controller;

transferring by said second controller, test packet reception data including data of the reception virtual node from the second host to the first host;

specifying by said first controller, the virtual node receiving the test packet in said first virtual network as the transmission virtual node based on the test packet reception data notified from said switch which has received the test packet reception data and topology data of said first virtual network managed by said first controller; and

relating by said first controller, the transmission virtual node and the reception virtual node contained in the test packet reception data to each other, to notify to said external managing unit as corresponding virtual node data.

12. The visualization method according to claim 11,

wherein said virtual node comprises a virtual bridge,

wherein a combination of a transmission virtual bridge and a reception virtual bridge which correspond to each other is set to the corresponding virtual node data,

wherein said combining said plurality of virtual networks to output visibly comprises:

specifying by said the external managing unit, the virtual bridge which is common to said plurality of virtual networks, based on the topology data of said plurality of virtual networks and the corresponding virtual node data; and

combining by said external managing unit, said plurality of virtual networks through said common virtual bridge.

13. The visualization method according to claim 12,

wherein said virtual node comprises a virtual external which can be viewed as a connection destination of said virtual bridge,

wherein a combination of a transmission virtual external and a reception virtual external which correspond to each other is set to the virtual node data,

wherein said combining said plurality of virtual networks to output visibly comprises:

specifying by said external managing unit, a virtual external which is common to said plurality of virtual networks based on the topology data of said plurality of virtual networks and the corresponding virtual node data; and

combining by said external managing unit, said plurality of virtual networks through said common virtual external.

14. The visualization method according to claim 10,

wherein said controller holds the topology data of the virtual network in which a VLAN name and a virtual node are related to each other and set,

wherein the visualization method further comprises:

notifying by said switch, the VLAN name allocated to a port receiving the packet data to said controller in notification of the reception of the packet data;

specifying by said controller, the virtual node receiving the packet data by using the VLAN name, based on the topology data; and

combining by said external managing unit, said plurality of virtual networks through the common virtual node.

15. The visualization method according to claim 10, further comprising:

transferring a test packet from a first host on a first virtual network of the two virtual networks which is managed by a first controller as one of said two controllers to a second host on a second virtual network of the two virtual networks which is managed by a second controller as the other of said two controllers.

16. The visualization method according to claim 15, further comprising:

specifying, by said second controller, a virtual node receiving the test packet as a reception virtual node based on the test packet notified from a switch which has received the test packet and topology data of said second virtual network managed by said second controller.

17. The visualization method according to claim 15, further comprising:

transferring by said second controller, test packet reception data including data of a reception virtual node from the second host to the first host;

specifying by said first controller, a virtual node receiving the test packet in said first virtual network as a transmission virtual node based on the test packet reception data notified from said switch which has received the test packet reception data and topology data of said first virtual network managed by said first controller; and

relating by said first controller, the transmission virtual node and the reception virtual node contained in the test packet reception data to each other, to notify to said external managing unit as corresponding virtual node data.