Automatically generated virtual network elements for virtualized packet networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10298449-B2
Application number	US-201715814264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2017
Priority date	Feb 3, 2014
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

A computer system establishes data communications for a virtual machine that is configured with an enhanced Media Access Control (MAC) address. A management computer instantiates the virtual machine responsive to the enhanced MAC address. The management computer automatically instantiates a virtual Local Area Network (vLAN) and a virtual Switch (vSW) on the vLAN to serve the virtual machine using the enhanced MAC address. The management computer allocates an Internet Protocol (IP) address to the virtual machine and automatically instantiates a virtual Router (vRTR) to serve the vSW using the IP address. A network computer executes the virtual machine, the vLAN, the vSW, and the vRTR to exchange user data between the virtual machine and a data communication network over the vSW, vLAN, and vRTR using the enhanced MAC address and the IP address.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a computer system to establish data communications for a virtual machine, the method comprising:
a management computer instantiating the virtual machine that is configured with a Media Access Control (MAC) address that comprises a bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of an Internet Protocol (IP) connection for the virtual machine;
responsive to detecting the MAC address of the virtual machine, the management computer automatically instantiating a virtual Local Area Network (vLAN) and a virtual Switch (vSW) on the vLAN to serve the virtual machine using the MAC address;
responsive to detecting the MAC address of the virtual machine, the management computer allocating an IP address to the virtual machine and automatically instantiating a virtual Router (vRTR) to serve the vSW using the IP address; and
a network computer executing the virtual machine, the vLAN, the vSW, and the vRTR and responsively exchanging user data between the virtual machine and a data communication network over the vSW, vLAN, and vRTR using the MAC address and the IP address.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
responsive to detecting the MAC address of the virtual machine, the management computer automatically instantiating a virtual Bridge (vBridge) on the vLAN to serve the vSW using the MAC address;
the network computer executing the vBridge; and wherein
the network computer exchanging the user data between the virtual machine and the data communication network comprises the network computer exchanging the user data over the vSW, the vLAN, the vBridge, and the vRTR using the MAC address and the IP address.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
responsive to detecting the MAC address of the virtual machine, the management computer automatically instantiating a virtual Firewall (vFirewall) to serve the vRTR using the IP address;
the network computer executing the vFirewall; and wherein the network computer exchanging the user data between the virtual machine and the data communication network comprises the network computer exchanging the user data over the vSW, the vLAN, the vRTR, and the vFirewall using the MAC address and the IP address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of the IP connection comprises a bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of the vLAN.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of the IP connection comprises a bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of the vSW.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of the IP connection comprises a bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of the vRTR.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the vSW machine comprises an Ethernet switch.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the vLAN comprises an Ethernet LAN.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine comprises an application server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine comprises a database system.

11. A computer system to establish data communications for a virtual machine comprising:
a management computer configured to instantiate the virtual machine that is configured with a Media Access Control (MAC) address that comprises a bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of an Internet Protocol (IP) connection for the virtual machine;
responsive to detecting the MAC address of the virtual machine, the management computer configured to automatically instantiate a virtual Local Area Network (vLAN) and a virtual Switch (vSW) on the vLAN to serve the virtual machine using the MAC address;
responsive to detecting the MAC address of the virtual machine, the management computer configured to allocate an IP address to the virtual machine and configured to automatically instantiate a virtual Router (vRTR) to serve the vSW using the IP address; and
a network computer configured to execute the virtual machine, the vLAN, the vSW, and the vRTR and responsively exchange user data between the virtual machine and a data communication network over the vSW, vLAN, and vRTR using the MAC address and the IP address.

12. The computer system of claim 11 further comprising:
responsive to detecting the MAC address of the virtual machine, the management computer configured to automatically instantiate a virtual Bridge (vBridge) on the vLAN to serve the vSW using the MAC address; and
the network computer configured to execute the vBridge to exchange the user data between the virtual machine and the data communication network using the MAC address and the IP address.

13. The computer system of claim 11 further comprising:
responsive to detecting the MAC address of the virtual machine, the management computer configured to automatically instantiate a virtual Firewall (vFirewall) to serve the vRTR using the IP address; and
the network computer configured to execute the vFirewall to exchange the user data between the virtual machine and the data communication network using the MAC address and the IP address.

14. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of the IP connection comprises a bit sequence that triggers automatic instantiation of the vLAN.

15. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of the IP connection comprises a bit sequence that triggers automatic instantiation of the vSW.

16. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the bit sequence that triggers the automatic instantiation of the IP connection comprises a bit sequence that triggers automatic instantiation of the vRTR.

17. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the vSW machine comprises an Ethernet switch.

18. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the vLAN comprises an Ethernet LAN.

19. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the virtual machine comprises an application server.

20. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the virtual machine comprises a database system.

Assignees

• Sprint Communications Co Lp

Inventors

• Gan Seng Chai
• Hinkle Aaron Paul
• Fiumano Michael Francis

Classifications

• H04L61/2015

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/103

  across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP] · CPC title

• H04L43/0888

  Throughput · CPC title

• H04L41/0806 Primary

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title

• H04L43/16

  Threshold monitoring · CPC title