Cross-VPC SDN Controller Policy Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for defining and enforcing policies in software-defined networks (SDNs) for traffic to and from container clusters, particularly in Kubernetes environments, where existing solutions lack efficient mechanisms for scaling and managing network policies across multiple virtual private clouds (VPCs).
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a second SDN controller cluster, residing in a different VPC, receives resource identifiers from adapters in the first VPC to define and distribute service policies across network elements, ensuring enforcement of policies on data messages within and between VPCs, even when the first SDN controller cluster does not have the capability to define these policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a second SDN controller cluster in a different VPC defines service policies for a first container cluster, then policy enforcement capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the SDN control functionality into separate clusters - the first SDN controller cluster manages the container cluster while the second SDN controller cluster handles service policy definition. This segmentation allows each controller to specialize in specific functions, improving overall policy enforcement capability while distributing system complexity across multiple manageable components.
Solution Approach 2:
Adapters are introduced as intermediary components deployed in the first VPC to facilitate communication between the second SDN controller cluster and the container cluster resources. These adapters receive resource identifiers from the container cluster and relay them to the second SDN controller, enabling policy definition without requiring the container cluster's native controller to have enhanced capabilities.
2Productivity
If service policies are distributed across multiple VPCs, then scalability is improved, but communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extends the policy management dimension by allowing a second SDN controller cluster in a different VPC to define policies for resources in the first VPC. This cross-VPC capability enables scalable policy enforcement across multiple virtualized environments without requiring every VPC to have identical controller functionality, thus improving scalability while managing communication overhead through targeted adapters.
3Ease of operation
If adapters are deployed in the first VPC to communicate with the second SDN controller, then resource identifier collection is improved, but deployment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapters deployed in the first VPC automatically perform resource identifier collection and transmission to the second SDN controller cluster without requiring manual configuration or intervention. This self-service mechanism simplifies operation by enabling automatic discovery and reporting of container cluster resources, offsetting the deployment complexity through reduced operational burden.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments provide a novel method for defining policies for a container cluster that is configured by a first software defined network (SDN) controller cluster. A second SDN controller cluster for defining service policies that are not defined by the first SDN controller cluster receives, from a set of one or more adapters deployed in the container cluster for the second SDN controller cluster, resource identifiers for several resources of the container cluster. The second SDN controller cluster uses the resource identifiers to define a set of service policies. Then, the second SDN controller cluster distributes the set of service policies to a set of network elements to enforce the set of service policies on data messages associated with machines deployed in the container cluster configured by the first SDN controller cluster.