Managing use of intermediate destination computing nodes for provided computer networks
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- providing, by one or more programmed computing systems, a first virtual computer network with multiple computing nodes in accordance with received configuration information by overlaying the first virtual computer network on a distinct substrate network, the configuration information including a specified network topology that involves a first computing node of the multiple computing nodes acting as an intermediate destination for at least some communications between a first group of two or more of the multiple computing nodes and a second group of one or more other computing nodes, the providing of the first virtual computer network including;
receiving an indication of a first communication that a source one of the computing nodes of the first group specifies to be sent to at least one destination other computing node of the second group;
before forwarding the first communication over the substrate network from the source one computing node of the first group, automatically determining to use the first computing node as an intermediate destination for the first communication based at least in part on the specified network topology;
forwarding the first communication over the substrate network from the source one computing node of the first group to the first computing node to enable the first computing node to manage further forwarding of the first communication to the at least one destination other computing node of the second group; and
if the first computing node determines to initiate further forwarding of the first communication to the at least one destination other computing node of the second group, further forwarding the first communication over the substrate network from the first computing node to the at least one destination other computing node of the second group.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are described for providing managed computer networks. In some situations, the techniques include managing communications for computing nodes of a managed computer network by using one or more particular computing nodes of the managed computer network that are configured to operate as intermediate destinations to handle at least some communications that are sent by and/or directed to one or more other computing nodes of the managed computer network. For example, a manager module associated with a source computing node may select one or more particular intermediate destination computing nodes to use for one or more particular communications from the source computing node to an indicated final destination, such as based on a configured logical network topology for the managed computer network. The manager module then forwards those communications to a first of the selected intermediate destination computing nodes for further handling.
368 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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providing, by one or more programmed computing systems, a first virtual computer network with multiple computing nodes in accordance with received configuration information by overlaying the first virtual computer network on a distinct substrate network, the configuration information including a specified network topology that involves a first computing node of the multiple computing nodes acting as an intermediate destination for at least some communications between a first group of two or more of the multiple computing nodes and a second group of one or more other computing nodes, the providing of the first virtual computer network including; receiving an indication of a first communication that a source one of the computing nodes of the first group specifies to be sent to at least one destination other computing node of the second group; before forwarding the first communication over the substrate network from the source one computing node of the first group, automatically determining to use the first computing node as an intermediate destination for the first communication based at least in part on the specified network topology; forwarding the first communication over the substrate network from the source one computing node of the first group to the first computing node to enable the first computing node to manage further forwarding of the first communication to the at least one destination other computing node of the second group; and if the first computing node determines to initiate further forwarding of the first communication to the at least one destination other computing node of the second group, further forwarding the first communication over the substrate network from the first computing node to the at least one destination other computing node of the second group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium whose stored contents configure a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
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obtaining information regarding a first virtual computer network having multiple computing nodes, the first virtual computer network being overlaid on a distinct substrate network that interconnects the multiple computing nodes, each of the multiple computing nodes having an associated first virtual network address for the first virtual computer network and having a distinct associated second substrate network address that corresponds to a location of the computing node in the substrate network, the obtained information indicating that a first computing node of the multiple computing nodes is configured to act as an intermediate destination for at least some communications directed to other final destinations; and under control of the configured computing system, automatically managing multiple communications for the first virtual computer network that are each sent by a source computing node of the multiple computing nodes distinct from the first computing node and include a destination network address for an intended final destination of the communication distinct from the first computing node, the managing of the multiple communications including, for each of one or more first communications of the multiple communications; automatically determining to use the first computing node as an intermediate destination for the first communication; forwarding the first communication over the substrate network from the source computing node for the first communication to the first computing node to enable the use of the first computing node as the intermediate destination for the first communication before the first communication is further forwarded to the intended final destination for the first communication, the forwarding of the first communication to the first computing node including using the second substrate network address associated with the first computing node; and if the first computing node initiates further forwarding of the first communication to the intended final destination for the first communication, further forwarding the first communication over the substrate network from the first computing node towards the intended final destination for the first communication. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computing system, comprising:
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one or more processors; a first manager module that is associated with one or more of multiple computing nodes of a first computer network overlaid on one or more distinct second networks, the one or more second networks interconnecting the multiple computing nodes, the first manager module being configured to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, manage multiple communications sent by the one or more computing nodes with which the first manager module is associated in accordance with specified network topology information for the first computer network, the managing of the multiple communications by the first manager module including; determining for a first of the multiple communications to use a first computing node of the multiple computing nodes of the first computer network as an intermediate destination to receive the first communication before the first communication is forwarded to a distinct indicated final destination for the first communication, the determining to use the first computing node as the intermediate destination for the first communication being based at least in part on the specified network topology information for the first computer network; sending the first communication via the first manager module to the one or more second networks for forwarding to the intermediate destination of the first computing node to enable the first computing node to manage further handling of the first communication before further forwarding of the first communication to the indicated final destination for the first communication; and sending a second of the multiple communications via the first manager module to the one or more second networks for forwarding to an indicated final destination for the second communication without the second communication being provided to the first computing node; and a second manager module that is associated with the first computing node and that is configured to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors; receive the sent first communication after it is forwarded via the one or more second networks, and provide the received first communication to the first computing node; and if the first computing node determines to initiate further forwarding of the first communication to the indicated final destination for the first communication, send the first communication to the one or more second networks for further forwarding towards the indicated final destination for the first communication. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification