Implementing a virtual tap in a virtual topology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10462033-B2
Application number	US-201916365513-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2019
Priority date	Feb 13, 2017
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

Techniques for implementing a virtual tap in a virtual topology are described. A request to tap a particular link between a set of virtual topology entities (VTEs) is received. The particular link between the set of VTEs is mapped to a link between a set of instantiated entities in a physical topology. One of the instantiated elements implements a tapping function. Additionally or alternatively, a tapping element is instantiated and the tapping element implements the tapping function. The tapping element is not one of the set of instantiated entities. The tapping function includes: applying a tap filter to a set of data; replicating the data that passes the tap filter; and transmitting the replicated data to a virtual endpoint. The replicated data may be referred to as “tapped data.” A user interface engine presents information regarding the particular link between the set of VTEs based on the tapped data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
identifying a particular link between a set of virtual topology elements (VTEs) in a virtual topology mapped to one or more links between a set of instantiated elements in a physical topology;
wherein the set of instantiated elements implements the set of VTEs;
identifying, by a first instantiated element of the set of instantiated elements, a first set of data to be transmitted to a second instantiated element of the set of instantiated elements;
executing, by the first instantiated element, a first tapping function, wherein the first tapping function comprises:
replicating the first set of data;
transmitting the replicated first set of data to a first virtual endpoint;

transmitting, by the first instantiated element, the first set of data to the second instantiated element;
identifying, by the second instantiated element, a second set of data that is received from the first instantiated element;
executing, by the second instantiated element, a second tapping function, wherein the second tapping function comprises:
replicating the second set of data;
transmitting the replicated second set of data to a second virtual endpoint;

wherein the replicated first set of data and the replicated second set of data are used to analyze data transmission associated with the particular link between the set of VTEs.

2. The one or more media of claim 1 , further storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
based on the replicated first set of data and the replicated second set of data, determining information that is dropped during the data transmission via the particular link between the set of VTEs.

3. The one or more media of claim 1 , wherein the first set of data to be transmitted to the second instantiated element is determined based at least on a firewall filter implemented by at least one of the set of VTEs.

4. The one or more media of claim 1 , further storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
transmitting, by the second instantiated element, at least a portion of the second set of data to a third instantiated element in the physical topology.

5. The one or more media of claim 4 , wherein the at least the portion of the second set of data to be transmitted to the third instantiated element is determined based at least on a firewall filter implemented by at least one of the set of VTEs.

6. The one or more media of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual endpoint is a first virtual network interface for a tap aggregator and the second virtual endpoint is a second virtual network interface for the tap aggregator.

7. The one or more media of claim 1 , further storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
identifying, by a third instantiated element of the set of instantiated elements, a third set of data to be transmitted to a fourth instantiated element of the set of instantiated elements;
executing, by the third instantiated element, a third tapping function, wherein the third tapping function comprises:
replicating the third set of data;
transmitting the replicated third set of data to a third virtual endpoint;

transmitting, by the third instantiated element, the first set of data to the fourth instantiated element;
identifying, by the fourth instantiated element, a fourth set of data that is received from the third instantiated element;
executing, by the fourth instantiated element, a fourth tapping function, wherein the fourth tapping function comprises:
replicating the fourth set of data;
transmitting the replicated fourth set of data to a fourth virtual endpoint;

transmitting, by the fourth instantiated element, at least a portion of the fourth set of data to a fifth instantiated element in the physical topology;
wherein the replicated first set of data, the replicated second set of data, the replicated third set of data, and the replicated fourth set of data are used to analyze the data transmission associated with the particular link between the set of VTEs.

8. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
identifying a particular link between a set of virtual topology elements (VTEs) in a virtual topology mapped to one or more links between a set of instantiated elements in a physical topology;
wherein the set of instantiated elements implements the set of VTEs;
identifying, by a first instantiated element of the set of instantiated elements, a first set of data to be transmitted to a second instantiated element of the set of instantiated elements;
transmitting, by the first instantiated element, the first set of data to a first intermediate element that does not map to any VTE in the virtual topology;
executing, by the first intermediate element, a first tapping function, wherein the first tapping function comprises:
replicating the first set of data;
transmitting the replicated first set of data to a first virtual endpoint;

transmitting, by the first intermediate element, the first set of data to a second intermediate element that does not map to any VTE in the virtual topology;
identifying, by the second intermediate element, a second set of data that is received from the first intermediate element;
executing, by the second intermediate element, a second tapping function, wherein the second tapping function comprises:
replicating the second set of data;
transmitting the replicated second set of data to a second virtual endpoint;

transmitting, by the second intermediate element, the second set of data to the second instantiated element;
wherein the replicated first set of data and the replicated second set of data are used to analyze data transmission associated with the particular link between the set of VTEs.

9. The one or more media of claim 8 , further storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
based on the replicated first set of data and the replicated second set of data, determining information that is dropped during the data transmission via the particular link between the set of VTEs.

10. The one or more media of claim 8 , wherein the first set of data to be transmitted to the second instantiated element is determined based at least on a firewall filter implemented by at least one of the set of VTEs.

11. The one or more media of claim 8 , further storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
transmitting, by the second instantiated element, at least a portion of the second set of data to a third instantiated element in the physical topology.

12. The one or more media of claim 11 , wherein the at least the portion of the second set of data to be transmitted to the third instantiated element is determined based at least on a firewall filter implemented by at least one of the set of VTEs.

13. The one or more media of claim 8 , wherein the first virtual endpoint is a first virtual network interface for a tap aggregator and the second virtual endpoint is a second virtual network interface for the tap aggregator.

14. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
identifying a first set of one or more instantiated elements in a physical topology that instantiates a particular virtual topology element (VTE) in a virtual topology;
identifying, by a first instantiated element of the first set of ins

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Cohn Daniel
• Vincent Pradeep

Classifications

• H04L41/122

  of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV] · CPC title

• H04L43/028

  by filtering · CPC title

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L43/12 Primary

  Network monitoring probes · CPC title