Virtual Network Abstraction for Multi-Vendor Host Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Configuring logical networks across multiple hosts with different virtualization and network virtualization software is complex due to the need for vendor-specific commands, making it difficult for network administrators to manage and maintain virtual networks in a multi-tenant environment.
Innovation Solution
A high-level interface and agent system that translates platform-agnostic commands into vendor-specific configuration commands, allowing network administrators to manage logical networks and devices without knowledge of the underlying virtualization software, providing virtual network abstraction and simplifying the configuration process across different hosts and network virtualization platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If network administrators directly configure logical networks on hosts with different virtualization software using vendor-specific commands, then the configuration can be performed on each host, but the administrative complexity and difficulty of operation increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an abstraction layer that acts as an intermediary between the network administrator and the diverse virtualization software on different hosts. This abstraction layer provides a unified configuration interface that translates generic network configuration requests into vendor-specific commands, eliminating the need for administrators to learn multiple vendor-specific command sets while maintaining the ability to configure networks across heterogeneous virtualization environments
2Ease of operation
If a unified high-level interface is introduced to simplify network configuration, then the ease of operation improves, but an additional abstraction layer is added to the system architecture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network configuration system into distinct layers: a simplified high-level configuration interface for administrators, an abstraction layer for translation and coordination, and the underlying vendor-specific virtualization software. This segmentation allows each layer to operate independently with well-defined interfaces, reducing the complexity burden despite adding an abstraction layer, as each segment can be developed and maintained separately
3Manufacturing precision
If vendor-specific commands are used to configure networks on hosts with different virtualization software, then the configuration can be performed accurately on each platform, but the adaptability and versatility of the configuration process decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal configuration interface that can operate across multiple vendor-specific virtualization platforms. The abstraction layer implements translation mechanisms that convert unified configuration requests into appropriate vendor-specific commands, enabling a single configuration process to accurately configure networks on hosts running different virtualization software without requiring separate configuration procedures for each platform
Data Source
AI summary
A method of defining a virtual network across a plurality of physical hosts is provided. At least two hosts utilize network virtualization software provided by two different vendors. Each host hosts a set of data compute nodes (DCNs) for one or more tenants. The method, at an agent at a host, receives a command from a network controller, the command includes (i) an identification a resource on a tenant logical network and (ii) an action to perform on the identified resource. The method, at the agent, determines the network virtualization software utilized by the host. The method, at the agent, translates the received action into a set of configuration commands compatible with the network virtualization software utilized by the host. The method sends the configuration commands to a network configuration interface on the host to perform the action on the identified resource.