Dynamic policy based interface configuration for virtualized environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9294351-B2
Application number	US-201113293421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2011
Priority date	Nov 10, 2011
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving static profiles each comprising one or more properties of an operating environment, receiving a dynamic profile for identifying a configuration of an interface based on the static profile associated with said dynamic profile, associating the dynamic profile with one of the static profiles based on the operating environment of the interface, and automatically updating the association upon identifying a change in the operating environment. An apparatus is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving at a network device, static profiles each comprising one or more policies assigned to a virtual machine host for application to a virtual interface attached to a virtual machine, wherein said one or more policies provide security;
receiving at the network device, a dynamic profile for identifying a configuration of the virtual interface based on one of said static profiles associated with said dynamic profile, wherein said static profiles define the virtual machine host in which said one or more policies are interpreted and said dynamic profile is interpreted based on said one or more policies assigned to the virtual machine host;
linking said dynamic profile with one of said static profiles based on the virtual machine host;
interpreting said configuration of the virtual interface based on said static profiles linked with said dynamic profile; and
automatically updating said association between said dynamic profile and said static profile upon identifying a move of the virtual machine from the virtual machine host to another virtual machine host;
wherein said static profiles are associated with virtual switches operating at the virtual machine hosts, the virtual machine attached to said dynamic profile comprising different policies, wherein said different policies are based on the virtual machine host at which where the virtual machine is located.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said static profile properties comprise locations of the virtual machine hosts.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said static profiles are associated with virtual switches operating at the virtual machine hosts.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein multiple dynamic profiles are selected and applied to said virtual interface and merged to form an interface configuration.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said static profile properties comprise an address for a network service device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said static profiles comprise virtual switch profiles and said dynamic profiles comprise context-aware port profiles.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine host comprises a virtual switch in communication with a virtual machine comprising said virtual interface.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said dynamic profile maps policies to said virtual interface based on said one or more properties associated with the virtual machine host.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said static profiles and said dynamic profiles each define one or more policies that may be applied to said virtual interface.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual machine host comprises a physical server.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein policies of said virtual interface may vary based on the virtual machine host that said virtual interface is located.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the different policies comprise different tiers of services.

13. Logic encoded on one or more non-transitory computer readable media for execution and when executed operable to:
store static profiles each comprising one or more policies assigned to a virtual machine host for application to a virtual interface attached to a virtual machine, wherein said one or more policies provide security;
store a dynamic profile for identifying a configuration of the virtual interface based on one of said static profiles associated with said dynamic profile;
link said dynamic profile with one of said static profiles based on said virtual machine host;
interpret said configuration of the virtual interface based on said static profiles associated with said dynamic profile; and
automatically update said association between said dynamic profile and said static profile upon identifying a move of the virtual machine from the virtual machine host to another virtual machine;
wherein said static profiles define the virtual machine host in which said one or more policies are interpreted and said dynamic profile is interpreted based on said one or more policies assigned to the virtual machine host; and
wherein said static profiles are associated with virtual switches operating at the virtual machine hosts, the virtual machine attached to said dynamic profile comprising different policies, wherein said different policies are based on the virtual machine host where the virtual machine is located.

14. The logic of claim 13 wherein said static profile properties comprise locations of the virtual machine hosts.

15. The logic of claim 13 wherein said static profile properties comprise an address for a network service device.

16. The logic of claim 13 wherein the different policies comprise different tiers of services.

17. An apparatus comprising:
memory for storing static profiles each comprising one or more policies assigned to a virtual machine host for application to a virtual interface attached to a virtual machine, a dynamic profile for identifying a configuration of the virtual interface based on one of said static profiles associated with said dynamic profile; and
a processor for linking said dynamic profile with one of said static profiles based on the virtual machine host, interpreting said configuration of the virtual interface based on said static profiles associated with said dynamic profile, and automatically updating said association between said dynamic profile and said static profile upon identifying a move of the virtual machine from the virtual machine host to another virtual machine host;
wherein said static profiles define the virtual machine host in which said one or more policies are interpreted and said dynamic profile is interpreted based on said one or more policies assigned to the virtual machine host, said policies providing security; and
wherein said static profiles are associated with virtual switches operating at the virtual machine hosts, the virtual machine attached to said dynamic profile comprising
different policies wherein said different policies are based on the virtual machine host where the virtual machine is located.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said association between said dynamic profile and said static profile allows a configuration of said virtual interface to be interpreted based on said properties of the virtual machine host.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the different policies comprise different tiers of services.

Assignees

• Mittal Anuraag
• Miriyala Prasad
• Bakke Mark
• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Mittal Anuraag
• Miriyala Prasad
• Bakke Mark

Classifications

• H04L41/0813 Primary

  characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings · CPC title

• H04L41/0895

  Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements · CPC title

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title