Defining different public cloud virtual networks for different entities based on different sets of measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11121985-B2
Application number	US-201916662379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2019
Priority date	Aug 27, 2019
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a novel method for deploying different virtual networks over several public cloud datacenters for different entities. For each entity, the method (1) identifies a set of public cloud datacenters of one or more public cloud providers to connect a set of machines of the entity, (2) deploys managed forwarding nodes (MFNs) for the entity in the identified set of public cloud datacenters, and then (3) configures the MFNs to implement a virtual network that connects the entity's set of machines across its identified set of public cloud datacenters. In some embodiments, the method identifies the set of public cloud datacenters for an entity by receiving input from the entity's network administrator. In some embodiments, this input specifies the public cloud providers to use and/or the public cloud regions in which the virtual network should be defined. Conjunctively, or alternatively, this input in some embodiments specifies actual public cloud datacenters to use.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of creating a plurality of virtual networks over a set of two or more public cloud datacenters, the method comprising:
generating network measurements between different pairs of public cloud datacenters;
using a first set of measurements to define a first set of paths across a first subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a first set of machines of a first entity across the first subset of public cloud datacenters and using the first set of paths to configure a first set of forwarding elements operating in the first subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the first entity; and
using a second set of measurements to define a second set of paths across a second subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a second set of machines of a second entity across the second subset of public cloud datacenters and using the second set of paths to configure a second set of forwarding elements operating in the second subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the second entity,
wherein using the first and second sets of paths to configure the first and second sets of forwarding elements comprises providing next hop forwarding records to a set of controllers that configure the first and second sets of forwarding elements.

2. A method of creating a plurality of virtual networks over a set of two or more public cloud datacenters, the method comprising:
generating network measurements between different pairs of public cloud datacenters;
using a first set of measurements to define a first set of paths across a first subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a first set of machines of a first entity across the first subset of public cloud datacenters and using the first set of paths to configure a first set of forwarding elements operating in the first subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the first entity;
using a second set of measurements to define a second set of paths across a second subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a second set of machines of a second entity across the second subset of public cloud datacenters and using the second set of paths to configure a second set of forwarding elements operating in the second subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the second entity; and
before using each set of measurements:
receiving from the first entity an identification of the first subset of public cloud datacenters as a subset of public cloud datacenters over which the first entity wants to define a first virtual network; and
receiving from the second entity an identification of the second subset of public cloud datacenters as a subset of public cloud datacenters over which the second entity wants to define a second virtual network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second virtual networks are defined by respectively configuring the first and second sets of forwarding elements.

4. A method of creating a plurality of virtual networks over a set of two or more public cloud datacenters, the method comprising:
generating network measurements between different pairs of public cloud datacenters;
using a first set of measurements to define a first set of paths across a first subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a first set of machines of a first entity across the first subset of public cloud datacenters and using the first set of paths to configure a first set of forwarding elements operating in the first subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the first entity; and
using a second set of measurements to a define second set of paths across a second subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a second set of machines of a second entity across the second subset of public cloud datacenters and using the second set of paths to configure a second set of forwarding elements operating in the second subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the second entity,
wherein using the first and second sets of paths to configure the first and second sets of forwarding elements comprises using the first and second sets of paths to define first and second sets of next hop forwarding records for the first and second sets of forwarding elements, wherein the first and second sets of next hop forwarding records enable the first and second sets of forwarding elements to forward data messages to move along the first and seconds sets of paths through the first and second sets of public cloud datacenters.

5. A method of creating a plurality of virtual networks over a set of two or more public cloud datacenters, the method comprising:
generating network measurements between different pairs of public cloud datacenters;
using a first set of measurements to define a first set of paths across a first subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a first set of machines of a first entity across the first subset of public cloud datacenters and using the first set of paths to configure a first set of forwarding elements operating in the first subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the first entity; and
using a second set of measurements to define a second set of paths across a second subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a second set of machines of a second entity across the second subset of public cloud datacenters and using the second set of paths to configure a second set of forwarding elements operating in the second subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the second entity,
wherein using the first and second sets of measurements to define the first and second sets of paths comprises using the first and second sets of measurements to perform shortest path search processes that generate the first and second sets of paths.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein using the first and second sets of measurements to perform shortest path search processes comprises using the first and second sets of measurements as weight values that are assigned to links that the shortest path search process defines to represent connections between different public cloud pairs.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the network measurements include measurements quantifying loss or delay experienced on connections between pairs of public cloud datacenters.

8. A method of creating a plurality of virtual networks over a set of two or more public cloud datacenters, the method comprising:
generating network measurements between different pairs of public cloud datacenters, wherein generating network measurements comprises generating first and second types of measurements between each pair of public cloud datacenters;
using a first set of measurements to define a first set of paths across a first subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a first set of machines of a first entity across the first subset of public cloud datacenters and using the first set of paths to configure a first set of forwarding elements operating in the first subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the first entity; and
using a second set of measurements to define a second set of paths across a second subset of public cloud datacenters to connect a second set of machines of a second entity across the second subset of public cloud datacenters and using the second set of paths to configure a second set of forwarding elements operating in the second subset of public cloud datacenters exclusively for the second entity,
wherein using the first sets of measurements to define the first set of paths comprises using the first type of measurements to define the first set of paths for the first entity;
wherein using the second sets of measurements to define the second set of paths comprises using the second type of measurements to define the first set of paths for the first entity.

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Cidon Israel
• Venugopal Prashanth
• Bergman Aran
• Dar Chen
• Markuze Alex
• Zohar Eyal

Classifications

• H04L43/08

  Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters · CPC title

• H04L45/745

  Address table lookup; Address filtering · CPC title

• H04L43/20

  the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV · CPC title

• H04L41/122

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

• H04L41/0897

  by horizontal or vertical scaling of resources, or by migrating entities, e.g. virtual resources or entities · CPC title