Instantiating an application flow into a chain of services in a virtual data center

• US 9,473,570 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhanujan, Shiva, Huang, Senhua
• Primary Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/802,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5015 Service provider selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises creating a hierarchal chain of network services in response to instantiation within a data center of a virtualized application providing an application service, the chain having a corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier for each network service in the chain; registering the chain of network services as a logical path for reaching the application service within the data center; and routing, within the data center, a web-based service request for the application service to the chain of network services for execution by the virtualized application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a hierarchal chain of network services in response to instantiation within a data center of a virtualized application providing an application service, the creating and the instantiation separate and independent from any access to the virtualized application, the chain initiated by the virtualized application in response to instantiation thereof providing reachability to the application service and without provisioning to reach the virtualized application, the chain comprising a contiguous sequence of logical hops generated from the virtualized application to a routing service executed within the data center, the chain identifying each logical hop with a corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier for the corresponding network service in the chain;

registering the chain of network services as a logical path within the data center for reaching the application service; and

routing, within the data center, a web-based service request for the application service to the chain of network services for execution by the virtualized application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating includes:

the virtualized application sending a first registration request to a first network service providing an exclusive service endpoint for reaching the virtualized application, the first registration request indicating the application service is reachable via a first reachable address in use by the virtualized application;

the first network service responding to the first registration request by creating the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, as a first hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, and a corresponding first hierarchal table entry specifying that the application service is reachable via the first reachable address; and

the first network service sending a second registration request to a second network service providing an exclusive service endpoint for reaching the virtualized application via the first network service, the second registration request specifying that reachability to the application service via the first network service requires the first hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the creating further includes:

the second network service responding to the second registration request by creating the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, as a second hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, and a corresponding second hierarchal table entry specifying that the application service via the first network service is reachable via the first hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier;

the second network service sending a third registration request to a third network service providing an exclusive service endpoint for reaching the virtualized application via the second network service, the third registration request specifying that reachability to the application service via the second network service requires the second hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the registering includes the third network service registering the chain based on receiving the third registration request, and in response creating a third hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier for reachability to the application service via the second hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering includes:

receiving registration requests from each network service in the chain, each registration request specifying that reachability to the application service via the corresponding network service requires the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier; and

creating a service path table specifying, for each network service in the chain associated with the application service, the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, and a corresponding reachable address for reaching a network device executing the corresponding network service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering includes creating a single exclusive topology-based logical path for reaching the application service, within the data center, based on implementing the logical path based on a prescribed physical topology deployed within the data center.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the virtualized application associating the application service within the data center with a virtual IP address, the hierarchal chain providing reachability to the virtual IP address via the sequence of hierarchal proxy endpoint identifiers according to the hierarchal chain.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor circuit configured for creating a hierarchal chain of network services in response to instantiation within a data center of a virtualized application providing an application service, the creating and the instantiation separate and independent from any access to the virtualized application, the chain initiated by the virtualized application in response to instantiation thereof providing reachability to the application service and without provisioning to reach the virtualized application, the chain comprising a contiguous sequence of logical hops generated from the virtualized application to a routing service executed within the data center, the chain identifying each logical hop with a corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier for the corresponding network service in the chain;

the processor circuit further configured for registering the chain of network services as a logical path within the data center for reaching the application service; and

a network interface circuit configured for routing, within the data center, a web-based service request for the application service to the chain of network services for execution by the virtualized application.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor circuit is configured for creating the hierarchal chain based on:

a machine executing the virtualized application sending a first registration request to a machine executing a first network service providing an exclusive service endpoint for reaching the virtualized application, the first registration request indicating the application service is reachable via a first reachable address in use by the virtualized application;

the first network service responding to the first registration request by creating the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, as a first hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, and a corresponding first hierarchal table entry specifying that the application service is reachable via the first reachable address; and

the first network service sending a second registration request to a machine executing a second network service providing an exclusive service endpoint for reaching the virtualized application via the first network service, the second registration request specifying that reachability to the application service via the first network service requires the first hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the creating further includes:

the machine executing the second network service responding to the second registration request by creating the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, as a second hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, and a corresponding second hierarchal table entry specifying that the application service via the first network service is reachable via the first hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier;

the machine executing the second network service sending a third registration request to a machine executing a third network service providing an exclusive service endpoint for reaching the virtualized application via the second network service, the third registration request specifying that reachability to the application service via the second network service requires the second hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the registering includes the third network service registering the chain based on receiving the third registration request, and in response creating a third hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier for reachability to the application service via the second hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the registering includes:

receiving registration requests from each network service in the chain, each registration request specifying that reachability to the application service via the corresponding network service requires the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier; and

creating a service path table specifying, for each network service in the chain associated with the application service, the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, and a corresponding reachable address for reaching a network device executing the corresponding network service.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the registering includes creating a single exclusive topology-based logical path for reaching the application service, within the data center, based on implementing the logical path based on a prescribed physical topology deployed within the data center.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein further comprising the virtualized application associating the application service within the data center with a virtual IP address, the hierarchal chain providing reachability to the virtual IP address via the sequence of hierarchal proxy endpoint identifiers according to the hierarchal chain.

15. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory tangible media for execution by a machine and when executed operable for:

creating a hierarchal chain of network services in response to instantiation within a data center of a virtualized application providing an application service, the creating and the instantiation separate and independent from any access to the virtualized application, the chain initiated by the virtualized application in response to instantiation thereof providing reachability to the application service and without provisioning to reach the virtualized application, the chain comprising a contiguous sequence of logical hops generated from the virtualized application to a routing service executed within the data center, the chain identifying each logical hop with a corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier for each network service in the chain;

registering the chain of network services as a logical path within the data center for reaching the application service; and

routing, within the data center, a web-based service request for the application service to the chain of network services for execution by the virtualized application.

16. The logic of claim 15, wherein the creating includes:

the virtualized application sending a first registration request to a first network service providing an exclusive service endpoint for reaching the virtualized application, the first registration request indicating the application service is reachable via a first reachable address in use by the virtualized application;

the first network service responding to the first registration request by creating the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, as a first hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, and a corresponding first hierarchal table entry specifying that the application service is reachable via the first reachable address; and

the first network service sending a second registration request to a second network service providing an exclusive service endpoint for reaching the virtualized application via the first network service, the second registration request specifying that reachability to the application service via the first network service requires the first hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier.

17. The logic of claim 16, wherein the creating further includes:

the second network service responding to the second registration request by creating the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, as a second hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, and a corresponding second hierarchal table entry specifying that the application service via the first network service is reachable via the first hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier;

the second network service sending a third registration request to a third network service providing an exclusive service endpoint for reaching the virtualized application via the second network service, the third registration request specifying that reachability to the application service via the second network service requires the second hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier.

18. The logic of claim 17, wherein the registering includes the third network service registering the chain based on receiving the third registration request, and in response creating a third hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier for reachability to the application service via the second hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier.

19. The logic of claim 15, wherein the registering includes:

receiving registration requests from each network service in the chain, each registration request specifying that reachability to the application service via the corresponding network service requires the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier; and

creating a service path table specifying, for each network service in the chain associated with the application service, the corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier, and a corresponding reachable address for reaching a network device executing the corresponding network service.

20. The logic of claim 15, wherein the registering includes creating a single exclusive topology-based logical path for reaching the application service, within the data center, based on implementing the logical path based on a prescribed physical topology deployed within the data center.