Private IP Linking Between Provider and Virtual Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The management and migration of computing resources in large-scale data centers, particularly in transitioning from physical to virtual networks, is complex due to the need for network layer isolation and address conflicts, requiring cumbersome access control and migration processes.
Innovation Solution
A private IP link service is implemented to establish direct private IP communications between client resource instances on a provider network and their virtual network counterparts, allowing seamless integration and management of both through virtual network access groups, enabling early access to virtual network features and facilitating gradual migration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If virtualization technologies are used to share physical computing resources among multiple users, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but network management complexity and access control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into virtual networks and provider networks, allowing separate management of virtual computing resources. Each virtual network can be independently managed with its own access control policies, reducing overall network management complexity while maintaining high resource utilization through virtualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a network gateway as an intermediary component that facilitates communication and access control between virtual networks and the provider network. This gateway handles authentication, authorization, and traffic routing, simplifying access control management for virtualized resources.
2Reliability
If network layer isolation is implemented for virtual networks, then security and resource separation are improved, but migration complexity and address conflict resolution difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs Network Address Translation (NAT) to dynamically change IP address parameters, allowing virtual networks to maintain private address spaces while enabling communication with the provider network. This resolves address conflicts during migration without compromising network layer isolation or security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes network gateways and routing configurations in advance before migration occurs. These pre-configured intermediaries are ready to handle address translation and traffic routing, simplifying the actual migration process while maintaining security isolation.
3Ease of operation
If direct private IP communications are established between provider network resources and virtual network resources, then access control is simplified, but network isolation and security may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses network gateways as intermediaries that enable private IP communications between provider and virtual network resources while maintaining security. The gateway enforces access control policies, authenticates connections, and routes traffic appropriately, providing both ease of access and network isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The network gateway serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a router for private IP communications, an authentication server for access control, a NAT device for address translation, and a security enforcement point. This multi-functionality simplifies access control while maintaining isolation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus that allow clients to connect resource instances to virtual networks in provider network environments via private IP. Via private IP linking methods and apparatus, a client of a provider network can establish private IP communications between the client's resource instances on the provider network and the client's resource instances provisioned in the client's virtual network via links from the private IP address space of the virtual network to the private IP address space of the provider network. The provider network client resource instances remain part of the client's provider network implementation and may thus also communicate with other resource instances on the provider network and/or with entities on external networks via public IP while communicating with the virtual network resource instances via private IP.