Location-aware virtual service provisioning in a hybrid cloud environment

• US 9,965,317 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, David, Patra, Abhijit, Bagepalli, Nagaraj, Anantha, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Sm
• Application Number:
  US15/465,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20170192815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 709204
• 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: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A sense of location is provided for distributed virtual switch components into the service provisioning scheme to reduce latency observed in conducting policy evaluations across a network in a hybrid cloud environment. A management application in a first virtual network subscribes to virtual network services provided by a first virtual service node in the first virtual network. A second virtual network receives the subscription to the virtual network services and starts a virtual switch that switches network traffic for one or more virtual machines in the second virtual network that are configured to extend services provided by the first virtual network into the second virtual network. The second virtual network starts a second virtual service node in the second virtual network that provides network traffic services for the one or more virtual machines.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a management application in a first virtual network comprising a first virtual service node, a subscription to virtual network services provided by the first virtual service node;

starting a virtual switch in a second virtual network, wherein the virtual switch switches network traffic for one or more virtual machines in the second virtual network;

starting a second virtual service node in the second virtual network to expand the virtual network services provided by the first virtual service node to the second virtual service node; and

causing the virtual switch to direct network traffic among virtual machines within the second virtual network based on service policies.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning to the second virtual network an identifier configured to identify resources in the second virtual network that are associated with the first virtual network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifier is configured to indicate a location of the resources as being in the second virtual network.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising associating the identifier with the second virtual service node and the virtual switch in order for the virtual switch to direct the network traffic to the second virtual service node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing, by the virtual switch, the network traffic associated with the virtual machines to the second virtual service node; and

providing, by the second virtual service node, network traffic services for the network traffic.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining and storing information representing the service policies; and

defining and storing information representing a plurality service profiles comprising one or more identifiers for corresponding service policies for one or more virtual service nodes configured to provide network traffic services.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating information representing a port profile comprising one or more service profile identifiers and an identifier for the second virtual service node, thereby assigning one or more service profiles to the port profile;

assigning a virtual network port to a virtual machine running in the second virtual network;

associating the port profile with the virtual network port; and

routing, by the virtual switch, network traffic associated with the virtual machine to the second virtual service node based on the identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual network services include firewall services and wide area application services.

9. An apparatus comprising:

one or more network interfaces configured to interface with a second virtual network; and

a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces, and configured to;

receive from a management application in a first virtual network comprising a first virtual service node, a subscription to virtual network services provided by the first virtual service node;

start a virtual switch in the second virtual network, wherein the virtual switch switches network traffic for one or more virtual machines in the second virtual network;

start a second virtual service node in the second virtual network to expand the virtual network services provided by the first virtual service node to the second virtual service node; and

cause the virtual switch to direct network traffic among virtual machines within the second virtual network based on service policies.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to assign to the second virtual network an identifier to identify resources in the second virtual network that are associated with the first virtual network, wherein the identifier is configured to indicate a location of the resources as being in the second virtual network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to associate the identifier with the second virtual service node and the virtual switch in order for the virtual switch to direct the network traffic to the second virtual service node.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

define and store information representing the service policies; and

define and store information representing a plurality service profiles comprising one or more identifiers for corresponding service policies for one or more virtual service nodes configured to provide network traffic services.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to generate information representing a port profile comprising one or more service profile identifiers and an identifier for the second virtual service node which assigns one or more service profiles to the port profile.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

assign a virtual network port to a virtual machine running in the second virtual network; and

associate the port profile with the virtual network port in order for the virtual switch to route network traffic associated with the virtual machine to the second virtual service node based on the identifier.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the virtual network services include firewall services and wide area application services.

16. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive from a management application in a first virtual network comprising a first virtual service node, a subscription to virtual network services provided by the first virtual service node;

start a virtual switch in a second virtual network, wherein the virtual switch switches network traffic for one or more virtual machines in the second virtual network;

start a second virtual service node in the second virtual network to expand the virtual network services provided by the first virtual service node to the second virtual service node; and

cause the virtual switch to direct network traffic among virtual machines within the second virtual network based on service policies.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to assign to the second virtual network an identifier configured to identify resources in the second virtual network that are associated with the first virtual network, wherein the identifier is configured to indicate a location of the resources as being in the second virtual network.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to associate the identifier with the second virtual service node and the virtual switch in order for the virtual switch to direct the network traffic to the virtual service node.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

define and store information representing the service policies; and

define and store information representing a plurality service profiles comprising one or more identifiers for corresponding service policies for one or more virtual service nodes configured to provide network traffic services.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

generate information representing a port profile comprising one or more service profile identifiers and an identifier for the second virtual service node, thereby assigning one or more service profiles to the port profile;

assign a virtual network port to a virtual machine running in the second virtual network; and

associate the port profile with the virtual network port in order for the virtual switch to route network traffic associated with the virtual machine to the second virtual service node based on the identifier.