Network-assisted configuration and programming of gateways in a network environment

• US 9,559,896 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patwardhan, Sourabh Suresh, Narasimha, Maithili, Ramachandran, Shankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmud, Golam
• Application Number:
  US13/936,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements

Abstract

An example method for network-assisted configuration and programming of gateways in a network environment is provided and includes registering a non-Virtual eXtensible Local Area Network (VXLAN) device with a central controller, for example, by generating registration information associating the non-VXLAN device with a virtual local area network (VLAN) in a network environment, receiving a communication request from a VXLAN enabled device to communicate with the non-VXLAN device, mapping, based on the registration information, a VXLAN segment corresponding to the VXLAN enabled device with the VLAN associated with the non-VXLAN device, and configuring a gateway with the mapping through a suitable application programming interface exposed at the gateway.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

registering, at a central controller in a network, a non-Virtual eXtensible Local Area Network (VXLAN) device with registration information associating the non-VXLAN device with a virtual local area network (VLAN) in a network environment, wherein the registration information comprises an identifier of the non-VXLAN device and an identifier of the VLAN;

receiving, at the central controller, a communication request from a VXLAN enabled device to communicate with the non-VXLAN device, wherein the communication request comprises an identifier of a VXLAN segment corresponding to the VXLAN enabled device and the identifier of the non-VXLAN device;

mapping, at the central controller, based on the registration information, the VXLAN segment corresponding to the VXLAN enabled device with the VLAN associated with the non-VXLAN device; and

configuring, by the central controller, a gateway with the mapping through a suitable application programming interface (API) at the gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gateway translates and forwards traffic between the VXLAN enabled device and the non-VXLAN device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the API comprises Representational State Transfer (REST) API.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration information is stored in an inventory database.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising retrieving the registration information from the inventory database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication request comprises an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the VXLAN enabled device comprises a virtual machine (VM), wherein the VM interfaces with a virtual Ethernet Module (VEM), wherein the VEM punts the communication request from the VM to the SDN controller.

9. Non-transitory media encoded in logic that includes instructions for execution that when executed by a processor of a central controller in a network, is operable to perform operations comprising:

registering, at the central controller, a non-VXLAN device with registration information associating the non-VXLAN device with a VLAN in a network environment, wherein the registration information comprises an identifier of the non-VXLAN device and an identifier of the VLAN;

receiving, at the central controller, a communication request from a VXLAN enabled device to communicate with the non-VXLAN device, wherein the communication request comprises an identifier of a VXLAN segment corresponding to the VXLAN enabled device and the identifier of the non-VXLAN device;

mapping, at the central controller, based on the registration information, the VXLAN segment corresponding to the VXLAN enabled device with the VLAN associated with the non-VXLAN device; and

configuring, by the central controller, a gateway with the mapping through a suitable API at the gateway.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein the registration information is stored in an inventory database.

11. The media of claim 10, further comprising retrieving the registration information from the inventory database.

12. The media of claim 9, wherein the communication request comprises an ARP message.

13. The media of claim 9, wherein the controller comprises a SDN controller.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein the VXLAN enabled device comprises a VM, wherein the VM interfaces with a VEM, wherein the VEM punts the communication request from the VM to the SDN controller.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a configuration module;

a memory element for storing data; and

a processor that executes instructions associated with the data, wherein the processor and the memory element cooperate such that the apparatus is configured as a central controller for;

registering, at the apparatus, a non-VXLAN device, with registration information associating the non-VXLAN device with a VLAN in a network environment, wherein the registration information comprises an identifier of the non-VXLAN device and an identifier of the VLAN;

receiving, at the apparatus, a communication request from a VXLAN enabled device to communicate with the non-VXLAN device, wherein the communication request comprises an identifier of a VXLAN segment corresponding to the VXLAN enabled device and the identifier of the non-VXLAN device;

mapping, at the apparatus, based on the registration information, the VXLAN segment corresponding to the VXLAN enabled device with the VLAN associated with the non-VXLAN device; and

configuring a gateway with the mapping through a suitable API at the gateway.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the registration information is stored in an inventory database.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising retrieving the registration information from the inventory database.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication request comprises an ARP message.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a SDN controller configures the gateway.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the VXLAN enabled device comprises a VM, wherein the VM interfaces with a VEM, wherein the VEM punts the communication request from the VM to the SDN controller.