Techniques for network replication

• US 8,549,347 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandwine, Eric Jason, Sivasubramanian, Swaminathan, Marshall, Bradley E., Certain, Tate Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCARTHY, CHRISTOPHER S
• Application Number:
  US12/973,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/4.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

In response to a request to duplicate a network, the network is duplicated. The duplicate network includes one or more virtual devices that correspond to one or more devices in the network being duplicated. The devices of the duplicate network are communicatively arranged in a manner consistent with a topology of the network being duplicated. Once the duplicate network is created, access to the duplicate network is provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for network duplication, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

operating a first network based at least in part on instructions provided remotely by a customer, the first network including a plurality of virtual network devices in a configuration that overlays one or more physical networks, the first network including one or more devices selected from the group consisting of servers, storage volumes, switches, hubs, firewalls, bridges, and gateways;

receiving, from the customer, a web service request to duplicate the first network;

responsive to the web service request;

retrieving configuration information about the first network from a data store;

generating a network duplication plan from the retrieved configuration information;

creating, according to the network duplication plan, a plurality of virtual duplicate devices, each of the virtual duplicate devices corresponding to a device of the first network;

configuring, according to the network duplication plan, the created virtual duplicate devices in a duplicate network that overlays the one or more physical networks in a manner similar to the manner in which the first network overlays the one or more physical networks; and

operating the duplicate network based at least in part on instructions provided remotely by the customer.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the virtual duplicate devices operate dependently from one or more stored state representations used by one or more corresponding devices of the first network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the virtual duplicate devices are complete copies of corresponding devices of the first network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a sub-network of a larger network, wherein receiving the request to duplicate the first network includes receiving one or more filtering criteria, and wherein the method further includes applying the one or more filtering criteria to the larger network to determine the first network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the virtual network devices of the first network was created using a template and wherein creating the plurality of virtual duplicate devices includes using the template to create at least one virtual duplicate device corresponding to said at least one of the virtual network devices.

6. A computer-implemented method for network duplication, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

receiving a request to duplicate a first network that includes one or more virtual devices and that overlays one or more physical networks, the first network including one or more devices selected from the group consisting of servers, storage volumes, switches, hubs, firewalls, bridges, and gateways;

responsive to receipt of the request, creating a plurality of virtual duplicate devices each corresponding to a device in the first network and arranging the created virtual duplicate devices in a duplicate network to overlay the one or more physical networks in a manner similar to the manner in which the first network overlays the one or more physical networks; and

providing access to the duplicate network.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein providing access to the duplicate network includes:

receiving instructions for performing a test of the duplicate network;

performing the test of the duplicate network; and

providing results of the test.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

recording one or more network events for the first network; and

wherein providing access to the duplicate network includes causing the recorded one or more network events to occur on the duplicate network.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein recording the one or more network events includes recording one or more API calls affecting the first network and wherein causing the recorded one or more network events to occur on the duplicate network includes causing the one or more API calls to be made with respect to the duplicate network.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein providing access to the duplicate network includes:

modifying the duplicate network; and

performing a test on the modified duplicate network.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein modifying the duplicate network includes at least one of:

changing capacity of at least one device of the duplicate network;

causing a change in packet loss to the duplicate network;

causing a change in failure rate in the duplicate network;

or replacing one or more virtual duplicate devices with another virtual duplicate device that performs differently than the one or more virtual duplicate devices being replaced.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the virtual network devices of the first network was created using a template and wherein creating the plurality of virtual duplicate devices includes using the template to create at least one virtual duplicate device corresponding to said at least one of the virtual network devices.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein creating the plurality of devices includes:

for a particular device of the first network, identifying whether the particular device is stateful device; and

when determined that the particular device is a stateful device, creating an copy of the particular device that operates operate dependently from one or more stored state representations used by the particular device.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having collectively stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more computer systems, cause the one or more computer systems to collectively at least:

receive a request to duplicate a first network that includes one or more virtual devices and that overlays one or more physical networks, the first network including one or more devices selected from the group consisting of servers, storage volumes, switches, hubs, firewalls, bridges, and gateways;

responsive to receipt of the request, create a duplicate network that overlays the one or more physical networks with a topology consistent with the first network and that includes one or more virtual duplicate devices that each correspond to one of the one or more virtual devices of the first network; and

provide access to the duplicate network.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein providing access to the duplicate network includes:

receiving instructions for performing a test of the duplicate network;

performing the test of the duplicate network; and

providing results of the test.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer systems to collectively at least:

record one or more network events for the first network; and

wherein providing access to the duplicate network includes causing the recorded one or more network events to occur on the duplicate network.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein creating the duplicate network includes configuring at least a subset of the duplicate virtual devices to have identifiers identical to identifiers of a set of the one or more virtual devices of the first network.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the identifiers are internet protocol addresses.

19. A computer system operable to duplicate networks, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory, including executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to at least;

receive a request to duplicate a first network that includes one or more virtual devices and that overlays one or more physical networks, the first network including one or more devices selected from the group consisting of servers, storage volumes, switches, hubs, firewalls, bridges, and gateways;

responsive to receipt of the request, create a plurality of virtual duplicate devices each corresponding to a device in the first network and arranging the created devices in a virtual duplicate network to overlay the one or more physical networks in a manner similar to the manner in which the first network overlays the one or more physical networks; and

provide access to the duplicate network.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein at least a subset of the created plurality of virtual duplicate devices are copy-on-write overlays of devices in the first network.

21. The computer system of claim 19, wherein providing access to the duplicate network includes:

receiving instructions for performing a test of the duplicate network;

performing the test of the duplicate network; and

providing results of the test.

22. The computer system of claim 21, further comprising modifying the duplicate network prior to performing the test.

23. A computer-implemented method of network duplication, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

receiving a request to duplicate a first network that overlays one or more physical networks, the first network including one or more devices selected from the group consisting of servers, storage volumes, switches, hubs, firewalls, bridges, and gateways; and

responsive to receipt of the request;

creating a plurality of virtual devices and configuring the plurality of devices in a virtual network such that the plurality of virtual devices are communicatively connected with one another in a manner so as to overlay the one or more physical networks in a manner similar to the manner in which the first network overlays the one or more physical networks, the plurality of devices including one or more virtual devices that correspond to one or more devices of the first network.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein receiving the request includes receiving information specifying a fidelity for one or more devices of the first network;

and

wherein creating the new virtual network includes creating one or more duplicate virtual devices according to the specified fidelity.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein the request is received remotely from a user;

and

wherein creating the plurality of virtual devices is performed in a facility in which one or more other networks for one or more other users are operated.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein receiving the request to duplicate the first network includes receiving one or more filtering criteria, and wherein the method further includes applying the one or more filtering criteria to the larger network to determine said at least a subset of the first network.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein the first network is a virtual overlay network.