Methods and systems for managing virtual addresses for virtual networks

• US 6,996,628 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle Systems Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Corente, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Macey, Christopher, Keane, John
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/832,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20020056008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/227, 709/228, 709/238, 709/245, 709/249, 370/395.53, 370/401
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• 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 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0897 by horizontal or vertical scaling of resources, or by migrating entities, e.g. virtual resources or entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 : Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 : Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 : using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 : Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 : at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for enabling a virtual network between a first processor and a second processor using at least one additional processor separate from the first processor and the second processor. In one embodiment, the at the at least one additional processor may determine a first virtual address and a first base address for the first processor such that the first virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the first base address is routable through a base network and determine a second virtual address and a second base address for the second processor such that the second virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the second base address is routable through the base network. The at least one additional processor may provide the first virtual address and the first base address to the first processor and the second virtual address and the second base address to the second processor. Moreover, the virtual network may be enabled over the base network based on the first virtual address, the first base address, the second virtual address, and the second base address.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a virtual network between a first processor and a second processor using at least one additional processor separate from the first processor and the second processor, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, at the at least one additional processor, a first virtual address and a first base address for the first processor such that the first virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the first base address is routable through a base network;

determining, at the at least one additional processor, a second virtual address and a second base address for the second processor such that the second virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the second base address is routable through the base network;

providing, by the at least one additional processor, the first virtual address and the first base address to the first processor and the second virtual address and the second base address to the second processor; and

enabling the virtual network over the base network based on the first virtual address, the first base address, the second virtual address, and the second base address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

forwarding information to the first processor based on the first virtual address and the first base address routable through the base network such that the information is forwarded through the virtual network using the first virtual address and through the base network using the first base address.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

layering the virtual network over the base network, wherein the base network is the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

maintaining, at the at least one additional processor, a plurality of virtual addresses for the virtual network.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

establishing, by the first processor, a tunnel from the first processor to the at least one additional processor using the first virtual address for the first processor and at least one of the plurality of virtual addresses for the at least one additional processor.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

selecting the first virtual address from the plurality of virtual addresses.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of selecting further comprises the step of:

selecting the first virtual address such that when the first virtual address is assigned to the first processor, the at least one additional processor does not assign the first virtual address to any other processors on the virtual network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing, by the at least one additional processor, further comprises the step of:

providing the first virtual address to the first processor with program code and information to configure the first processor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

establishing, by the first processor, one or more tunnels from the first processor to the second processor using the first and second virtual addresses.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining the first base address on the base network for the first processor based on information received from the first processor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing, by the at least one additional processor further comprises the step of:

providing the first and second virtual addresses to the first and second processors, respectively, when each of the first and second processors receives program code and information from the at least one additional processor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing, by the at least one additional processor further comprises the step of:

assigning the first and second virtual addresses statically such that the first and second addresses are permanently assigned to the first and second processors, respectively.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of assigning the first and second virtual addresses statically further comprises the step of:

reassigning the first virtual to another processor when the first processor is not interfaced to the virtual network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual network is a virtual private network.

15. A virtual network comprising:

a first processor;

a second processor; and

at least one additional processor separate from the first processor and the second processor that enables said virtual network between the first and second processor, the at least one additional processor further comprising;

means for determining a first virtual address and a first base address for the first processor such that the first virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the first base address is routable through a base network;

means for determining a second virtual address and a second base address for the second processor such that the second virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the second base address is routable through the base network; and

means for providing the first virtual address and the first base address to the first processor and the second virtual address and the second base address to the second processor,

wherein said virtual network is enabled over the base network based on the first virtual address, the first base address, the second virtual address, and the second base address.

16. The virtual network of claim 15, further comprising:

means for forwarding information to the first processor based on the first virtual address and the first base address routable through the base network such that the information is forwarded through the virtual network using the first virtual address and through the base network using the first base address.

17. A computer program product for enabling a virtual network between a first processor and a second processor using at least one additional processor separate from the first processor and the second processor, the computer program product comprising code embodied on a computer readable medium, said code comprising:

code that determines, at the at least one additional processor, a first virtual address and a first base address for the first processor such that the first virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the first base address is routable through a base network;

code that determines, at the at least one additional processor, a second virtual address and a second base address for the second processor such that the second virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the second base address is routable through the base network;

code that provides, by the at least one additional processor, the first virtual address and the first base address to the first processor and the second virtual address and the second base address to the second processor; and

code that enables the virtual network over the base network based on the first virtual address, the first base address, the second virtual address, and the second base address.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

code that forwards information to the first processor based on the first virtual address and the first base address routable through the base network such that the information is forwarded through the virtual network using the first virtual address and through the base network using the first base address.

19. A system for enabling a virtual network between a first processor and a second processor using at least one additional processor separate from the first processor and the second processor, the system comprising:

at least one memory including code comprising

code that determines, at the at least one additional processor, a first virtual address and a first base address for the first processor such that the first virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the first base address is routable through a base network,

code that determines, at the at least one additional processor, a second virtual address and a second base address for the second processor such that the second virtual address is routable through the virtual network and the second base address is routable through the base network,

code that provides, by the at least one additional processor, the first virtual address and the first base address to the first processor and the second virtual address and the second base address to the second processor, and

code that enables the virtual network over the base network based on the first virtual address, the first base address, the second virtual address, and the second base address; and

at least one processor that executes said code.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory further comprises code that forwards information to the first processor based on the first virtual address and the first base address routable through the base network such that the information is forwarded through the virtual network using the first virtual address and through the base network using the first base address.