IP address and domain name automation of virtual infrastructure

• US 9,634,983 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infoblox Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Infoblox Incorporated
• Inventors: Eizadi, Soheil, Whittle, Steven, Wang, Chuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B
• Application Number:
  US14/794,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS

Abstract

Provisioning an Internet Protocol address is disclosed. A request to provision an Internet Protocol address to a virtual resource is received. An Internet Protocol address is automatically determined to allocate to the virtual resource. An Internet Protocol Address Management appliance is used to automatically allocate the determined Internet Protocol address to the virtual resource.

Claims

1. A system for provisioning an Internet Protocol address, comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a request to provision an Internet Protocol address to a virtual resource; and

a processor configured to automatically determine an Internet Protocol address to allocate to the virtual resource, automatically allocate the determined Internet Protocol address to the virtual resource, and automatically register the virtual resource with a Domain Name System using the determined Internet Protocol address,

wherein automatically determining the Internet Protocol address includes selecting the determined Internet Protocol address among a group of Internet Protocol addresses potentially available to be assigned to the virtual resource of the received request, the system manages Internet Protocol address provisioning of both virtual resources and physical resources, and automatically registering the virtual resource with the Domain Name System includes registering the determined Internet Protocol address as being associated with a selected domain name.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the request is received due to a component action included in a group of component actions programmatically defined in a workflow.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the workflow is defined using an interface application that interfaces with a manager managing a virtual cloud that includes the virtual resource.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the workflow is at least in part defined by a user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein automatically registering the virtual resource with the Domain Name System includes determining which domain name is available to be assigned to the virtual resource among a group of eligible domain names.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein automatically determining the Internet Protocol address includes determining an available Internet Protocol address in a database of available Internet Protocol addresses.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to update a database of virtual cloud infrastructure metadata information using the determined Internet Protocol address.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically de-allocate the determined Internet Protocol address at least in part by updating a database of available Internet Protocol addresses.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically de-register the virtual resource with the Domain Name System.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein using the Internet Protocol Address Management appliance to automatically allocate the determined Internet Protocol address includes updating a database of available Internet Protocol addresses.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically de-register the virtual resource with the Domain Name System.

11. A system for registering with a Domain Name System, comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a request to register a virtual resource with a Domain Name System; and

a processor configured to determine which domain names, if any, are available to be assigned to the virtual resource among a group of eligible domain names, select one of the determined to be available domain names as the selected domain name, automatically register the virtual resource with the Domain Name System at least in part by sending a registration request to a domain name server to register the selected domain name with the virtual resource, and provide information associated with the registration of the virtual resource with the Domain Name System;

wherein the request is received due to a component action included in a group of component actions programmatically defined in a workflow.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein automatically registering the virtual resource with the Domain Name System includes determining which domain name is available to be assigned to the virtual resource among a group of eligible domain names tracked by the system.

14. A method of provisioning an Internet Protocol address, comprising:

receiving a request to provision an Internet Protocol address to a virtual resource;

automatically determining an Internet Protocol address to allocate to the virtual resource, wherein automatically determining the Internet Protocol address includes selecting the determined Internet Protocol address among a group of Internet Protocol addresses potentially available to be assigned to the virtual resource of the received request;

using an Internet Protocol Address Management device to automatically allocate the determined Internet Protocol address to the virtual resource, wherein the Internet Protocol Address Management device manages Internet Protocol address provisioning of both virtual resources and physical resources; and

automatically registering the virtual resource with a Domain Name System using the determined Internet Protocol address, wherein automatically registering the virtual resource with the Domain Name System includes registering the determined Internet Protocol address as being associated with a selected domain name.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the request is received due to a component action included in a group of component actions programmatically defined in a workflow.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising automatically de-allocating the determined Internet Protocol address at least in part by updating a database of available Internet Protocol addresses.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically de-registering the virtual resource with the Domain Name System.

18. A method of registering with a Domain Name System, comprising:

receiving a request to register a virtual resource with a Domain Name System;

determining which domain names, if any, are available to be assigned to the virtual resource among a group of eligible domain names;

selecting one of the determined to be available domain names as the selected domain name;

automatically registering the virtual resource with the Domain Name System at least in part by sending a registration request to a domain name server to register the selected domain name with the virtual resource; and

providing information associated with the registration of the virtual resource with the Domain Name System.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein automatically registering the virtual resource with the Domain Name System includes determining which domain name is available to be assigned to the virtual resource among a group of eligible domain names tracked by the system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein further comprising automatically de-registering the virtual resource with the Domain Name System.