Virtual Network Overlay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016218947-A1
Application number	US-201615091533-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 5, 2016
Priority date	Jul 3, 2008
Publication date	Jul 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for the creation, maintenance and management of virtual overlay networks across multiple communication networks managed by service providers. The simple creation and management of network overlays is accomplished via a network orchestrator manager, allowing for automation of configuration of connected network devices throughout an entire organization's network, regardless of the physical location of each device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for transmitting data via a virtual overlay network, comprising:
receiving, at a first network appliance, data to be transmitted across a communication network to a destination, the data comprising a plurality of data packets; classifying the data based on a traffic access policy; assigning an overlay identification to the data based on the classification; determining, based on the destination, a second network appliance to receive the data; selecting a bonded tunnel for the assigned overlay identification and second network appliance, the bonded tunnel being a tunnel for the overlay between the first network appliance and second network appliance; and transferring the plurality of data packets from the first network appliance via the selected bonded tunnel to an endpoint of the communication network, for transmission by the communication network to the second network appliance.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic access policy is based on a label applied to data from each network interface of the first network appliance.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the label is determined by a network administrator of the first network appliance.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic access policy is based on an access control list.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the bonded tunnel utilizes two underlay communication networks, each communication network managed by a service provider.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a business intent to the data based on the overlay identification.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication network is at least one of: Internet, MPLS, or LTE wireless connection.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the overlay identification is at least one of: voice, video, data.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network appliance or the second network appliance is in a cloud network.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting one or more underlay tunnels to transfer the data, the underlay tunnels selected based on network metrics; and amending a header on each of the plurality of data packets to transfer the data packets via the selected bonded tunnel and underlay tunnels.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the network metrics comprise at least one of re-ordering, loss, latency, and jitter.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the bonded tunnel utilizes at least one underlay tunnel.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the network metrics are displayed to a network administrator in a grid format.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the data packets are transferred in accordance with a selected bonding policy.

15 . A method for creating a virtual overlay network, comprising:
receiving, at an orchestrator device, information regarding configuration of each network interface at each of a plurality of network appliances; assigning a label to each network interface of each of the plurality of network appliances; and creating a secure bonded tunnel for data transmission between each pair of the plurality of network appliances for each label.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein each network appliance has at least one LAN network interface and at least one WAN network interface.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the bonded tunnel is an IPsec tunnel.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of network appliances is located in a cloud network.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein information regarding configuration of each network interface further comprises information regarding a network access link connected to each network interface.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein information regarding configuration of each network interface further comprises information regarding a type of data traffic received at each network interface.

Assignees

• Silver Peak Systems Inc

Inventors

• Hughes David Anthony
• Bheemarajaiah Santosh
• Ennis Damon John
• Merwin David Holt
• Muralt Rolf
• Singh Pawan Kumar
• Tedijanto Theodore E
• Lingarajan Lokesh
• Travalia Edward P
• Sadasivam Krishna Kumar
• Yen Shyh Pei
• Thakur Abhelaksh
• Torda Catrina A

Classifications

• H04L47/24

  Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS · CPC title

• H04L43/0823 Primary

  Errors, e.g. transmission errors · CPC title

• H04L45/64 Primary

  using an overlay routing layer · CPC title

• H04J11/00

  Orthogonal multiplex systems, {e.g. using WALSH codes}(H04J13/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04L43/0852

  Delays · CPC title