Auto-Discovery Service for Virtual Network Application Discovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Complex network architectures in cloud computing and datacenter environments lead to inefficiencies and increased costs due to the time and effort required to manage and configure networks, with applications spending significant resources discovering other applications, resulting in decreased network efficiency and revenue.
Innovation Solution
An auto-discovery service that enables local applications to discover remote applications by registering callback functions and traffic interception rules, intercepting and modifying network packets to efficiently determine the existence and addresses of remote applications without adding overhead to network traffic, and is transparent to NAT and firewall services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If applications transmit additional discovery traffic through the network to identify other applications, then application discovery capability is improved, but network efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network broker as an intermediary component that mediates application discovery between local and remote applications. The broker intercepts network packets, extracts application information, and provides it to local applications through callback functions, eliminating the need for applications to generate additional discovery traffic while maintaining discovery capability
Solution Approach 2:
The network broker utilizes existing network traffic that is already flowing through the system to extract application discovery information. Instead of requiring dedicated discovery protocols or additional traffic, the system repurposes ordinary application traffic to carry discovery information, thus maintaining network efficiency while enabling discovery
2Quantity of substance
If network architectures include a large number of computing devices connected together, then network functionality and resources are improved, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex task of application discovery and network management from individual applications and computing devices, centralizing it in the network broker. This extraction simplifies the complexity at the device level while maintaining the ability to manage large numbers of devices through a coordinated central service
Solution Approach 2:
The network broker provides multiple functions including application discovery, network monitoring, and resource management within a single centralized service. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate management systems, thereby reducing overall network complexity while supporting large-scale deployments
3Loss of information
If applications spend significant time discovering other applications within the network, then complete application information is obtained, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network broker performs preliminary extraction of application information from network packets before the local application needs it. By continuously monitoring and pre-processing network traffic, the broker maintains an up-to-date view of remote applications, so when a local application needs discovery information, it is immediately available through the callback function without requiring the application to spend time on discovery
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments provide a system including a first host computing device that includes a first virtual machine (VM) and a first application. The system also includes a second host computing device including a virtualization software layer, a second VM, and an auto-discovery service at least partially instantiated within the virtualization software layer. The auto-discovery service is configured to receive a message and an auto-discovery packet from a second application executing on the second VM. The auto-discovery service inserts an option into the auto-discovery packet, and transmits the auto-discovery packet to the first application. The option in the auto-discovery packet includes the message received from the second application.